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FOLSOM — As members of Global Wildlife Center’s Animal Care Team prepared on Sept. 10 for the landfall of Hurricane Francine the following day, Animal Care Specialist Caitlin Benoit noticed a long-anticipated baby was on the way. Sara the reticulated giraffe, who had been separated from the herd into the giraffe compound for a few weeks, was finally in the beginning stages of labor.
“The drop in barometric pressure does it every time,” said Christina Cooper, Global Wildlife Center’s executive director. Sara was monitored closely by Dr. Kanyon McLean, director of Animal Programs and staff veterinarian, as well as animal care specialists on site.
As the rain gently fell on the 900-acre wildlife preserve in Folsom ahead of the storm, Sara gave birth as all giraffes do, standing up, which means her baby fell 6 feet to the ground at birth. Within an hour, the baby giraffe, called a calf, was stumbling and righting itself, finally finding its legs and making its way to Sara. Global Wildlife team members silently cheered as the baby began nursing on its own.
The baby giraffe shared the stall and enclosure space with mom Sara and great-grandmother Kameel that first evening as wind and rain increased and Tropical Storm Francine developed into Hurricane Francine. Kameel is the first baby giraffe ever born at Global Wildlife Center and the matriarch of the giraffe tower. Kameel’s longevity at 31 years old, making her one of the oldest giraffes in captivity, has allowed her to teach many of the female giraffes at Global Wildlife Center their outstanding maternal instincts.
“Watching the maternal-neonate bond in action is quite a privilege as well as a humbling experience,” said McLean. The morning of landfall, Sept. 11, Animal Care Manager Erika Ferraris found the baby snuggled safely in cedar shavings in a corner of the stall underneath its mother’s and great-grandmother’s watchful eyes.
A neonate exam revealed Global Wildlife Center’s newest member of the herd weighed 147 pounds and was 5-foot-11. When it was determined the baby was female, “Frannie” quickly emerged as the only possible moniker. As Hurricane Francine advanced toward the Northshore, all 12 of the giraffes were safely ensconced in Global Wildlife Center’s giraffe barn, with the Shelter-in-Place team nearby.
“As of 2024, Global Wildlife Center is thrilled to be a cooperative member of Zoological Disaster Response, Rescue and Recovery (ZDR3), and we are even more grateful that we did not need to enlist its assistance as a result of Hurricane Francine,” said Global Wildlife Center Owner/CEO Maci Matherne. The ZDR3 network of zoological industry professionals stands on call to assist its members with emergency incident response. All Global Wildlife Center’s 2,000-plus animals were unscathed by the storm, and fallen limbs and electrical outages were the only ways the center was affected.
The hardworking Global Wildlife Center staff members were ready to reopen Friday, Sept. 13, and the tower of giraffes was eager to greet safari-goers after two days of weather closure. Guests may catch a glimpse of Frannie at the giraffe compound until she joins the rest of the giraffes on the free-roaming preserve in a few weeks.
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