, took a turn around the yard at the giraffe house on Sunday to the delight of about 300 people.
The 5-foot, 1-inch Dobby “was very curious,” said Amanda Faliano, a zookeeper who cares for the reticulated giraffe, who was born last week.
Dobby received a and fight infection last week after his keepers noticed he had difficulty standing and nursing. Blood tests showed he wasn’t getting enough proteins needed to fight infections from his mother, Kipele.
The newborn has gained 10 pounds in the past four days and now weighs 83 pounds. His birth weight was low for a giraffe, Faliano said.
“He’s a little guy. They’re normally born 6 feet tall and 150 pounds.”
His size may be the result of an illness that troubled his mother. “All we can think of is his mom has been sick this year and her not wanting to eat all the time.”
Dobby ran around the enclosure but returned quickly to his mother, Faliano said. “He was getting nervous.”
He also went to the front of the enclosure and surveyed the crowd. “He was just interested in everything and everybody.”
As long as veterinarians continue to say he is OK, Dobby will be visible to zoo customers from inside the giraffe building or outside in the enclosure.
“The hard part about the yard is the temperature, because he’s so little. If it is above 40 degrees, he should be able to go out, as long as his blood work is OK,” Faliano said.
