No giraffe babies yet at Santa Barbara Zoo
The two female giraffes at the Santa Barbara Zoo are pregnant and their due date has passed — but no babies yet.
It’s springtime and the zoo is expecting.
“It’s just the buzz around the zoo and it’s exciting,” said Wendy Anderson, senior mammal keeper.
Right now, it’s a baby waiting game. Audrey and Betty-Lou’s due date has come and gone.
“We’re just taking guesses and unfortunately have to wait for nature to take its course also,” said Anderson.
While zookeepers keep a close eye on the pregnant pair, the word is spreading.
“There’ll soon be two more giraffes!” said Titra Staley of Atascadero.
“It’s been fun watching the tourists who have heard that they’re pregnant and I’m like, yeah, I get to see them when they come,” said Jordan Schaefer, a Santa Barbara resident.
But some visitors are still surprised that Audrey and Betty-Lou are even pregnant.
“They don’t look like me when I was pregnant?” Cristina Murphy asked her son Ryan.
“No,” he said with a smile.
“Lucky them!”
Lucky? Maybe. But the girls have gained about 100 pounds each during their pregnancy. They will most likely lose that baby weight. When they do give birth, the newborns will weigh between 100 and 130 pounds.
“One hundred and thirty pounds? Oh my God!” exclaimed Christian Avalos of Five Cities.
Even though the babies aren’t here just yet, it is still exciting for visitors.
“It’s not something you get to see everyday. Somebody was saying they’re pregnant for 15 months but then, how often does that happen? So, thrilling for my kids to see!” said Murphy.
It could be another couple of days or even another month before the giraffe calves are born.
No giraffe babies yet at Santa Barbara Zoo