2 baby giraffes welcomed to Busch Gardens herd
TAMPA - People riding on the Serengeti Express train at Busch Gardens got to see two additions this week.
Two baby reticulated giraffes joined the herd for the first time on Friday. Passengers on the train craned their necks to see the two males in the middle of the herd. It's common for other members of the giraffe family to take care of newborns, staff members at the theme park said.
Tesa gave birth to her fourth baby April 6. Chloe gave birth to her first April 24. Both were sired by Sterling. There are now 17 giraffes in the Busch Gardens herd. The births are part of a long-term breeding program at the park.
For the past few months, the calves and mothers stayed out of view of the park visitors while their growth and behavior was monitored. The calves will nurse for about a year. They're about six feet tall now and will grow to an average height of 14 feet.
Busch Gardens' visitors can see the animals from the Serengeti Express train or on a Serengeti Safari, an open-truck tour of the 65-acre plain that's home to giraffes, zebras, white rhinoceros, eland antelope and other African animals.
Busch Gardens is at Busch Boulevard and 40th Street.
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