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.
Kipele, despite being menopausal and on birth control, became pregnant and totally shocked handlers when she suddenly started displaying pregnancy symptoms a week before the birth of her baby giraffe.
In February, she delivered a 73-pound calf named Dobby.
Now, while the whole world waits to see when April will finally deliver, Dobby the baby giraffe is making his debut in Denver, to the delight of everyone!
Dobby the baby giraffe made his public debut at the Denver Zoo on March 5, 2017, after completely stunning handlers and zookeepers with his unexpected birth.
Giraffe pregnancies last between 13 and 15 months, and his mom Kipele was believed to be too old to carry a baby.
For months, nobody realized that her birth control had failed and Kipele was preparing to become a mom.
Shortly before she delivered, folks at the zoo noticed her belly and udders swelling and realized that, against all odds, Kipele was getting ready to deliver a miracle baby!
Sweet little Dobby was born in late February 2017. He weighed in at just 73 pounds and measured five feet tall.
That's the size of a human fifth-grader, but it's on the small side for an infant giraffe. They are usually more like six feet and 150 pounds.
Just one day after his surprise arrival, zoo staff realized that Dobby wasn't thriving as much as they'd expected.
He seemed sluggish and sickly, and was having trouble standing and nursing. Most baby giraffes walk straight away.
They quickly realized Dobby's problem. His immune system didn't receive enough antibodies in utero, so he was having more trouble fighting off diseases.
Staff aren't sure exactly why Dobby's immune system was a bit underdeveloped. It might have to do with his mama's relatively advanced age or his not being monitored in the early stages of the pregnancy, because his mom kept her pregnancy secret up until about a week before the birth.
Zookeepers think it's most likely because Kipele herself was under the weather for much of her pregnancy.
Fortunately, the Denver Zoo was able to spring into action.
An innovative program at the nearby Cheyenne Mountain Zoo came to the rescue. Giraffes there have been trained to voluntarily allow doctors to draw blood.
Thanks to the giraffes at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Denver Zoo was able to give little Dobby blood and plasma transfusions right away.
The donated plasma helped Dobby build up his immune system, and his health improved fast!
Now, Dobby is feeling much happier and healthier, and is growing fast. In just his first week, he has gained 10 pounds!
And on March 6, just one week after his surprise birth, Dobby was ready for a major rite of passage.
He had his formal debut at the Denver Zoo, where 300 people turned out to see the baby giraffe in action!
Brave Dobby took a quick run around his enclosure to check out all the faces before getting overwhelmed and running back to Mom.
It's not easy to be a celebrity when you're just a week old, after all. Still, we have no doubt that Dobby will overcome his shyness in no time!
Maybe when April eventually gives birth, Dobby can give her calf some tips for living in the giraffe limelight.
If you think Dobby is incredibly adorable, be sure to check out the video below for more details on his surprise arrival, and SHARE his amazing and unexpected story with friends and family!
