Overview
- Mumbi, a female reticulated giraffe born on February 22 in Kronberg, currently stands about 1.73 meters and is reported healthy.
- After first-time mother Maja refused to let the calf nurse, staff began controlled hand-rearing with five daily feedings totaling about 10–15 percent of Mumbi’s body weight.
- The calf has already gained roughly five kilograms and is taking initial steps in a fore-yard before gradual access to the mixed-species outdoor enclosure when temperatures rise.
- Zoo curator Jörg Jebram says the birth strengthens Europe’s managed reserve population for a species that has seen a 42 percent decline in Africa over the past 30 years.
- This is Opel-Zoo’s second recent calf after Kianga in 2025; both were sired by the bull Timon, who was transferred in April 2025 to Serengeti-Park Hodenhagen under the European ex-situ program.