HOUSTON – The Houston Zoo is celebrating its newest addition.
A female Masai giraffe named Gigi was born Monday night.
Gigi weighs 160 pounds and stands 6 feet 3 inches tall. Gigi stands for "Girl Giraffe."
It was a three-hour birth for first-time mom, Asali. The Houston Zoo said the calf and mom are doing well and currently bonding behind the scenes.
"It's always exciting when we have a new baby at the zoo, and when that baby is more than 6 feet tall, it's an incredible moment," said Houston Zoo Hoofed Stock Supervisor John Register. "Our team is thrilled to welcome a new baby to our giraffe herd."
The honor of naming the calf will go to Jim Postl, a member of the Houston Zoo board of directors. He won the naming rights during a live auction at the 2015 Zoo Ball.
The zoo said new calf will make her public debut after a few days bonding with her mother.