Meet the new baby giraffe at the Phoenix Zoo
The Phoenix Zoo welcomed a new baby Masai giraffe on Nov. 16, 2025. Her mom, Sunshine, and dad, Miguu, have not named the giraffe yet.
The Phoenix Zoo has a new addition: a bouncing baby giraffe who the public will be consulted to help name.
The female Masai giraffe calf was born Nov. 16 at roughly 6 feet tall and approximately 150 pounds, though that’s an estimate because she was difficult to weigh, senior Phoenix Zoo hoofstock keeper Amanda Jock said. A hoofstock keeper is a specialized zookeeper for exotic species with hooves, such as giraffes, zebras and rhinos.
“We were unable to get a weight on her. She was really spunky during her baby exam, which was great. But roughly 150 pounds is what they come out as,” Jock said. “It’s a very big baby.”
The public cannot yet see the new baby until she’s old enough to be introduced to the rest of the herd. For now she’ll remain in the giraffe barn, which is not visible to the general public.
She’s spending time with her mom, who is 12-year-old named Sunshine. It’s difficult to say exactly when the public will be able to see the baby but the newborn giraffe will “still be little and adorable,” when she does become part of the exhibit, Jock said.
“If you’ve been to our zoo, our giraffe exhibit is large,” Jock said. “We’ve just got to make sure she’s big enough, strong enough to handle everything she’ll encounter out there.”
Details about the giraffe-naming process are expected soon
The new baby is Sunshine’s fifth calf, Jock said. Her most recent baby, Aurora, was born in 2023.
“Sunshine has proven to be an excellent mother with her last four calves, and we are excited to see her care for this newborn,” a Phoenix Zoo news release says.
The public is expected to play a role in giving the newborn a name, zoo officials say, though they haven’t released any other details about how that will happen.
The birth of the giraffe is a result of what’s known as the Species Survival Plan Program, which is a coordinated way of pairing animals to maximize genetic diversity and appropriately manage the demographic distribution and long-term sustainability of animal programs among members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The baby’s father is 16-year-old Miguu, pronounced Me-goo.
“Basically they are looking at their genetics, where they are located and who should breed with who,” Jock said. “So Miguu and Sunshine, they really want that genetic mix in the population. That’s why we regularly breed these two.”
Masai giraffes were once the most common type of giraffe with an estimated 71,000 35 years ago, but their numbers in the wild now number about 43,162, according to the nonprofit, Namibia-based Giraffe Conservation Fund.
Masai giraffes are distinguishable from other species for their noticeably darker coloration. Their large, dark brown patches are leaf-shaped with jagged edges and outlined by a creamy-brown hue that extends down their lower legs, the organization says.
“Ongoing reports of bushmeat poaching and habitat loss and fragmentation pose a continuing threat to the Masai giraffe population,” the group’s website says. “However, recent estimates indicate that they are exhibiting a slow but steady rebound.”
‘She gets daily zoomies’
The gestation for a giraffe is about 15 months and giraffes give birth standing up.
“Within the first hour they are standing up on their legs, a little wobbly, but roughly in an hour and then they are nursing off of mom probably within 15 minutes after that,” Jock said. “So they get up and start moving very quickly.”
The newborn is still “pretty little” and glued to her mom, Sunshine. But so far, she appears to be outgoing and rambunctious.
“She is definitely outgoing. She has, I call them zoomies — kind of like what a dog gets when they run around the house — she gets daily zoomies,” Jock said, “She just runs and plays and then she just goes over to mom again and takes a nap. It’s pretty cute.”
Reach health care reporter Stephanie Innes at stephanie.innes@gannett.com or follow her on X: @stephanieinnes or on Bluesky: @stephanieinnes.bsky.social.