LOOK: Baby giraffe born at the Denver Zoo is unreasonably cute

ashley-dean-square-crop
Dobby the baby giraffe. (Courtesy Denver Zoo)

Dobby the baby giraffe. (Courtesy Denver Zoo)

Denver, meet Dobby. He’s 5 feet tall, 73 pounds and kind of pulling off a mohawk.

The Denver Zoo’s newest giraffe was born to Kipele at 3 a.m. on the last day of February. He was a surprise pregnancy but of course that doesn’t mean we love him any less.

Dobby wasn’t nursing initially, the zoo reports, but he got there eventually, and he and Kipele are resting and bonding in the giraffe building. The area will be closed to the public for a few days to give them space.

(Photo: Denver Zoo)

(Photo: Denver Zoo)

Kipele was born in 1993 and is the oldest of the zoo’s giraffes. She was on birth control, so this was pretty unexpected, but I guess they do warn you in health class that it’s only 99 percent effective.

Anyway, Dobby is the first giraffe born at the Denver Zoo since 2010, and they’re happy with the surprise.

“This was certainly a welcome addition to the Denver Zoo family,” Brian Aucone, Denver Zoo senior vice president for animal care and conservation said in a statement. “Dobby may not have been a planned birth, but now that he’s here, we’re excited to have him and look forward to him engaging with our guests.”

In the next two weeks, Dobby — who is smaller than the average newborn giraffe and will probably never know he’s named for history’s most heroic house elf — will double in size. So if you’re looking to see a relatively tiny giraffe, you’ll want to visit as soon as he’s viewable by the public. For now, Dobby and Kipele are getting to know each other in relative privacy.

(Photo: Denver Zoo)

(Photo: Denver Zoo)

Weird times

Denverite is powered by you. In these weird times, the local vigilance, the local context, the local flavor — it’s powered through your donations. If you’d miss Denverite if it disappeared tomorrow, donate today.

You’re our superpower

Denverite supporters have made the decision to financially support local journalism that matters to you. Ready to tell your networks why? Sharing our “About” page with your own personal comments could really help us out.

You’re our superpower

Denverite members have made the decision to financially support local journalism that matters to you. Ready to tell your networks why? Sharing our “About” page with your own personal comments could really help us out.