Parc Safari in Hemmingford, Que. announced the arrival of a new baby giraffe on Tuesday.
The infant, a female, was born Nov. 8 to mother Kigalie and her late father, Molson.
Francis Lavigne, the zoo’s director, helped Kigalie as she was birthing the 90-kg, 6′ 3″ baby.
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Lavigne said the event brought a lot of joy to his team, especially in light of Molson’s passing, who died last spring due to complications related to old age.
“Needless to say, that loss greatly affected our team, and the arrival of the baby giraffe is a balm to the heart,” Lavigne said in a written statement.
The birth of a baby giraffe — only the third such birth in the last 25 years — is a rare thing at Parc Safari.
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Lavigne said he is excited to watch her grow, adding that she will be raised by her mom and two aunts, Agathe and Victoria, in a brand-new habitat.
Construction of the new enclosure is expected to begin in September and will provide the giraffes, as well as the zoo’s rhinos and elephants, with larger spaces to roam.
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With a new home in the works, all that’s missing is a name for the baby.
The zoo can’t decide whether she looks more like a “Stella” or a “Victoire” and is asking for the public’s help to choose a name.
The zoo has even organized a contest on its Facebook page, where people can vote for their favourite.