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Sacramento Zoo announces Masai giraffe Shani is pregnant

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new baby is on the way at California’s Sacramento Zoo.

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According to KOVR and KXTV, Masai giraffe Shani is expecting her second calf, zoo officials announced Tuesday in honor of World Giraffe Day. The baby-to-be is due later this summer, the attraction said in a blog post.

“Psst ... we’re ready to share the secret,” the zoo wrote on Instagram. “#SacramentoZoo is getting ready to welcome a new, long-legged bundle of joy! Shani the giraffe is pregnant, and Glory is about to become a big sister for the first time. What better way to celebrate #WorldGiraffeDay than announcing the big news?!”

The new arrival will mark the zoo’s 21st giraffe birth since 1964, according to the blog post.

“If the calf is a female, she will stay with her herd,” which includes one male, Chifu, and females Shani; Shani’s other calf, Glory; and Amira, the zoo wrote. “If the calf is a male, he will move onto a different herd after two years, reflecting a normal family cycle.”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources considers Masai giraffes endangered. As of 2018, about 35,000 mature Masai giraffes remained in the wild, according to the organization’s website.