Over the past couple of weeks, all eyes have been on April the giraffe, an expectant mama who is due to give birth any day now.
But while April has been hard at work, another giraffe mother across the country delivered a surprise bundle of joy all her own!
Kipele, an older giraffe at the Denver Zoo in Colorado, was believed to be past reproductive age. At 23 years old, she is middle-aged, right around the giraffe equivalent of menopause.
In fact, the Denver Post notes, “Kipele is the oldest of the zoo’s giraffes.” Zookeepers put her on birth control just in case, but they didn’t think she would need it.
Still, you know the expression “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”? Apparently, it applies to giraffes too.
- Rebecca Endicott, Little Things