Masai Giraffe Born in Santa Barbara

Mom Audrey gave birth on the Saturday before Easter.

HELLO, SWEET NEW EARTHLING: To fling about the word "bounty" when it comes to Santa Barbara in the springtime is to reveal you know the city very well. For "bounty" is the theme in the American Riviera when the days get longer and the temps warm up and things begin to bloom, grow, and astound at an amazing rate.

LOOK TO... the sudden lushness of Ganna Walska Lotusland, with its blooms and glorious plants.
And look to festivals like Santa Barbara's Earth Day celebration, which summons those who want to honor our planet and do what they can to give it some needed love. It's almost as if Audrey, a Masai giraffe who calls the Santa Barbara Zoo home, knew that springtime in Santa Barbara is one of the most joyous, big-of-vision seasons. In that spirit, and with much work on Mom's behalf, a newborn giraffe arrived on the Saturday before Easter at the animal park (the first Saturday of springtime, which seems like quite the auspicious day, all told).

DETAILS: There's no name for the tall baby yet, nor is it know if the bambino is a girl or a boy (a medical exam, to take place within the first couple of days of the giraffe's arrival, will reveal all). The little -- er, not so little -- giraffe arrived on the evening of March 26 at the zoo's Giraffe Barn. And while neither Audrey nor her infant will say hello to the public yet, they will down the road, if cooing over squee-worthy, long-of-neck, leaf-loving superstars is your personal jam (it should be all of our personal jams, for seeing a baby giraffe is one of life's loveliest experiences).

GIRAFFE FOSTER FEEDERS: If giraffes go beyond your jam, and you count them as one of your passions, there's a way to support the amazing animals at the Santa Barbara Zoo: Become a Giraffe Foster Feeder. "A donation of $50 helps with the cost of feeding the growing giraffe family," says the zoo, and it is indeed growing. Betty Lou, another resident giraffe, will have her baby in July 2016. Interesting fact, which you surely already know, if you're all about giraffes: "Giraffe pregnancies last for nearly 15 months," which means Audrey may have well carried her baby within three distinct calendar years, if she became pregnant at the close of 2014. Fascinating food for thought.

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