Welcome 'Stretch' - newest baby joins the Largest Private Giraffe Collections in the United States!

A new baby Masai giraffe was born at Safari West late Thursday night. We named the calf 'Stretch McCovey' after the former San Francisco Giant Hall of Famer. Seemed appropriate as baseball Spring season is just starting.

The calf is the 14th born at Safari West and marks a very important and celebrated event, creating the largest private giraffe herds in the United States.



Stretch weighed in at around 130 pounds, stood over 6 ft tall at birth and started walking within the hour. He was greeted with beaming faces from Safari West staff as he took her first steps toward mother Jamala to nurse. Due to inclement weather, mother and baby are staying in the heated giraffe barn until the weather warms up.

Giraffes give birth while standing and the six-foot drop to the ground aids in starting the breathing process - a rude awakening! In the wild, mothers usually go off on their own to calf, so during the birthing process, the other giraffes were led into another enclosure. Mom spent time inspecting, licking and nuzzling the baby.

Breeding Success -- Safari West is committed to the management of captive populations to support wild populations, and continues to put significant effort into the conservation of the many species which call Safari West home. Animals are supplied with healthy diets that simulate the nutrients they consume in the wild. Gathering the most up-to-date information from zoo nutritionists, the animal management staff constantly adjusts diets to meet nutritional needs in a manner that best supports reproduction. "To allow our animals to exhibit naturalistic behaviors, including reproduction, we make every attempt to provide our wildlife with the most naturalistic settings possible. This includes multi-acre habitats, wooded areas, streams, and ponds," says Nancy Lang, Ph.D. The environments found on the 400 acre wildlife preserve at Safari West are much like those found in the exotic and untamed lands of the African continent.

Hunt for the Hare...
Join us in the pursuit....

Looking for hare-raising adventure this Easter? Join the animals of Safari West (and their human companions) for our ninth annual Hunt for the Hare, an egg-straordinary Easter celebration and brunch.

Click here

March 14th, 15th, 22nd, 23rd and 30th
$140 for double occupancy
Click here for more details!

Click here to see the three new Bundles of Stripes!

Striped, Spirited and Kicking up their Hooves!
Katvra was born January 26th, Annakiya on January 27th and Mahoni on January 28th!

The new arrivals bring our zebra population to 15, including 11 females and our male, Kenya, who sired all three babies. The bundles of joy  weighed  between 55 and 88 pounds at birth. And, while 55  pounds might not sound all that small, consider their mothers at around 725 pounds (before slimming down to a decent 650 after childbirth). 

Do visit soon - babies have a way of growing up fast these days. 

Click here to see our Spring Stripes Promo!