A Visit With Baby Giraffe, Kiko

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"He's up, he's up!"  The cry rang out from voices young and old, shrill and deep.  Pandemonium reigned.  School children who had wandered away to see the tortoises, raced back up the ramp, adding their squeals to the noise.  It was deafening.

I climbed up on a bench and tried to stay out of the way.  It wasn't easy.  Children climbed up beside me and jostled each other trying to see. 

Kiko creates chaos by waking.
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What caused this chaos?  Four-day-old Kiko, the new baby giraffe at The Greenville Zoo, was awake and walking toward his mother, Autumn.

Before you fault me for taking the high ground with children around, I selected a bench on the back side of the viewing area, not one of the benches closest to the giraffes.  Considering the number of people streaming back into the area, I was safer there than down in the crowd.


 
 
Autumn checks on sleeping Kiko
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People stood in line for a half hour just to gain admittance to the zoo that day.  Boredom set in when they finally arrived at the giraffe paddock only to discover the little guy sound asleep in a far corner, almost hidden from sight. 

Families and troops of school children milled around hoping for Kiko to awake, but as time ticked by, the children grew restless. Occasionally, Autumn wandered over and checked on her sleeping calf.  After waiting another thirty minutes, Kiko rose and wandered toward his mother.  The crowd went berserk. A human tide flooded back into the paddock area.



Walter, Kiko, and Autumn
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I'm surprised the noise didn't frighten the giraffes, but they took it in stride.  Kiko's father, Walter, stuck his head over the wall to check on the uproar.  This unexpected opportunity allowed me to catch several images of the new family.









Kiko beside his mother, Autumn.
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But I have to say,
this picture is my favorite. 





Have you been to the zoo to visit Kiko?  What was your visit like? 



All photos are copyrighted images by Barbara V. Evers.  All rights reserved.

Comments

Valerie Keiser Norris said…
Not me. Now if it was a... Nope, can't think of any animal I'd wait in line in the cold for half an hour to see.

Great pictures, Barbara!
November 1, 2012 at 7:30 AM
Susan M. Boyer said…
I thought about you the minute I heard we had an expectant mother giraffe at the zoo. I know this must have been thrilling and inspiring. :)

You should enlarge these photos to poster size and put them near where you write. :)
November 1, 2012 at 9:17 AM
womenswrites said…
It's so fun to see your enthusiasm for little Kiko and his family! Wonderful photos!!
November 1, 2012 at 10:10 AM
Barbara V. Evers said…
Valerie, it wasn't cold that day. It was a pleasant day in the 70s, and I must admit I didn't know Spartanburg County was out of school that day. Added a LOT to the wait!
November 1, 2012 at 8:45 PM
Barbara V. Evers said…
Susan, I love how my friends think of me when they hear about or see anything related to giraffes. I do plan to print these and hang them in my house. Hadn't thought about poster sizes, but that's something to consider!
November 1, 2012 at 8:47 PM
Barbara V. Evers said…
Beth, thanks so much for the kind words and for dropping by my blog.
November 1, 2012 at 8:48 PM
Henry Danis said…
Barbara, Great Pictures! I agree, poster-sized is the way to go with these. I haven't been to see Kiko and until today, didn't even know his name or sex. I saw the text flash from WYFF that Autumn was in labor, but never managed to get back to the story to see the results.

Thanks for sharing.
November 1, 2012 at 9:33 PM
Barbara V. Evers said…
Hmm, posters may become an interesting little promotion for when my book comes out, too. Thanks for the feedback Henry. I've changed the comment process, so no more scrambled letters to type.
November 1, 2012 at 10:36 PM
Anonymous said…
Absolutely adorable little thing. So great to see your articles and comments. Love that cute face.
Vickie D.
November 2, 2012 at 10:49 AM
Vickie Dailey said…
Hi Barbara,

Love the pictures and so great to see the little darling. Love those eyes. Thanks for sharing with us.

Vickie Dailey
November 2, 2012 at 10:51 AM
Irena said…
I finally got around to reading this, and I'm so glad I did! The pics are amazing, and I agree with your favorite.
Kudos to you for waiting through nap time to get some great shots. Sounds like a monumental day at the zoo!
December 10, 2012 at 4:34 PM
Barbara V. Evers said…
Irena, thanks for reading! It's never too late, and yes, it was an awesome day.
December 10, 2012 at 9:49 PM
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