Everyone at the Zoo Held Their Breath as This Tiny Baby Giraffe Tried To Stand for the First Time
Mother's Day in the U.S. marked a particularly special occasion at the Metro Richmond Zoo. A baby giraffe was born and attempted to take her first steps in a now-viral video of the encounter, courtesy of CBS 6 in Richmond, Virginia.
Throughout the video, we get to see her make a few attempts to stand while a crowd of onlookers cheers her on (and at one point, a Peacock joined in). Mom alternates between nudging her along and helping her out with licks. (In case you have never noticed, giraffes have huge tongues, up to 20 inches.) Definitely watch until the end to see her final stand.
@cbs6_rva When you're born 6 feet tall but still learning to walk This little one fell a few times but never gave up! Welcome to the world, baby girl! The Metro Richmond Zoo celebrated Mother's Day weekend with the birth of a female Reticulated giraffe calf. Zoo staff and guests witnessed the remarkable birth, which occurred outdoors rather than one of the zoo's private birthing stall. to details in bio.
original sound - WTVR CBS 6
The caption sums it up best with, "When you're born 6 feet tall but still learning to walk. This little one fell a few times but never gave up! Welcome to the world, baby girl! The Metro Richmond Zoo celebrated Mother's Day weekend with the birth of a female Reticulated Giraffe calf. Zoo staff and guests witnessed the remarkable birth, which occurred outdoors rather than [in] one of the zoo's private birthing stalls."
This girlie already has fans. In addition to the cheering crowd in the clip, commenters rallied behind the sweet mammal. "Holy cuteness!!!" @Tiffani Lovejoy exclaimed. @Jessica followed up with praise for mama, "Mom is so nurturing. So sweet." We agreed with @No BS Natalie, who noted, "I love the way the whole crowd is so emotionally invested."
Lastly, TikTok audiences couldn't help but mention the Peacock. @jellyfish.muncher.og had the best take with, "Peacocks when the task requires zero Peacocks." Perhaps he's an emotional support Peacock for the baby giraffe.
Related: One-Day Old Baby Cow Gets a Case of the Zoomies and We Can't Stop Watching
Why Baby Giraffes Are So Clumsy at First
Giraffes are fascinating and somewhat awkward creatures. As @imlikemike stated in the comments on this video, "Watching giraffes for a long period of time makes me realize how bizarre they are." We agree. A lot of this has to do with evolution. Giraffes must be born to run, literally. If they can't keep up, they will quickly become prey.
National Geographicexplains their background, "Giraffe moms, or cows, are pregnant for about 15 months. This long gestation period is necessary to allow the calves to become highly developed in the safety of their mother's womb. Most newborn calves weigh in at around 220 pounds and stand over 6 feet tall."
While baby giraffes generally stand up within 30 minutes of being born, they aren't very good at it right away. Like humans, baby ungulates have to practice walking a bit before they have it down. In the wild, this little one would be following Mom around to look for food and water in no time.
Luckily, this newborn has lots of time to practice her stance in the comfort and safety of the zoo.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 9:20 AM.