Baby giraffe born at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 35 WOFL) - Busch Gardens Tampa Bay recently announced that a reticulated giraffe was born on November 14th, 2017. 

The male calf born, named Quinn, was born to mother Celina. He was 6-foot-tall and 150 pounds at birth. Both the mother and baby are in an area out of guest view so they can be closely monitored by zoo staff to ensure the baby is nursing and growing properly. They will join the other animals on the Serengeti Plain in the next several weeks.

The Busch Gardens' 65-acre Serengeti Plain is a habitat featuring a diverse population of free-roaming African animals, including giraffes, zebras, white rhinoceros, eland antelope, and several other species.

Reticulated giraffes are found in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. 

Busch Gardens closely manages its giraffe population, with the help of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums, through a program called the Species Survival Plan. These efforts work to improve the genetic diversity of managed populations. 

This recent birth brings the park's reticulated giraffe population to 16.