Say hello to Kandoro and Kianga! Lion Country Safari welcomes first baby giraffes in 5 years

Valentina Palm, Palm Beach Post
·2 min read

LOXAHATCHEE ― The giraffe family at Lion Country Safari has grown for the first time in five years.

It welcomed two calves, Kandoro and Kianga, during the last week of 2022. They are the first giraffes to be born in the animal park since 2018.

Kandoro, a male giraffe calf, was born at Lion Country Safari on Dec. 27, 2022.
Kandoro, a male giraffe calf, was born at Lion Country Safari on Dec. 27, 2022.

"Both calves are spending quality time bonding with their moms in adjacent maternity areas and are visible to guests from the road in the last section of the safari," Lion Country Safari said in a news release.

Lion County Safari opened its drive-by trails almost 50 years ago and is home to one of the largest herds of giraffes in the United States ― 18 in all, with ten females and eight males.

Haley McCann, a spokesperson for the safari, said Kandoro was born on Dec. 27, to Ayanna, an 18-year-old female, after a 15-month gestation period. He weighed 150 pounds, measured an impressive 5 feet, 10 inches, and featured beige and brown spots.

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The community had a special connection with the birth, McCann said.

A group of visitors touring the safari shortly after it opened got to enjoy the rare sight of the birth while sitting in their vehicles. Its name, Kandoro, which translates to sweet potato in Swahili, was chosen by the community through the park's social media pages.

Kandoro weighed 150 pounds, measured an impressive 5 feet, 10 inches, and featured beige and brown spots at birth.
Kandoro weighed 150 pounds, measured an impressive 5 feet, 10 inches, and featured beige and brown spots at birth.

"He stuck his face in the camera," said McCann. "But he was so sweet, curious and really, really charismatic."

The second surprise came on New Year's Eve.

Ashleigh, a female 9-year-old giraffe, gave birth on Dec. 31, to Kianga, its first baby. She came in heavier and taller than Kandoro at 161 pounds and 6 feet, 1 inch. In Swahili, her name means sunshine.

The giraffe population has declined about 30% worldwide since the 1980s, and it is considered "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Two of its subspecies are now listed as “critically endangered.”

Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee welcomed Kianga, a giraffe calf, on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022.
Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee welcomed Kianga, a giraffe calf, on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022.

The safari is part of the Association of Zoos Aquariums’s Giraffe Saving Animals From Extinction program and supports the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of the species throughout Africa.

"They are suffering a silent extinction," McCann said. "The giraffes that we have act as really important ambassadors for their species."

Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lion Country Safari animal park welcomes first baby giraffes since 2018