TAMPA BAY — After announcing her pregnancy last month, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is proud to share that Bea, a 14-year old reticulated giraffe, has delivered her third calf on June 19, 2020 with her care team in close proximity. 

The Busch Gardens zoological team has been monitoring Bea and her male calf as they continue to bond behind the scenes at the park. As important developmental milestones are reached over the next few months, Bea and her calf will soon join the herd on the park’s Serengeti Plain where they can be spotted by guests.

World Giraffe Day is held each year on June 21 to celebrate the popular savannah animal and highlight conservation efforts for their populations in the wild. Reticulated giraffes are an endangered species with only about 15,000 remaining in their naturally occurring environment. Populations have declined by more than 50 percent in the last thirty years due to habitat loss and hunting.

The new calf is the latest success story regarding Busch Gardens’ participation in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP). The mission of the SSP is to cooperatively manage specific species populations within AZA-accredited facilities. After a 15-month long pregnancy, the Busch Gardens Team is very excited to welcome the new calf following Bea’s two previously successful births: Binty in 2014, and Amani in 2015. The last giraffe born at the park was Patty, who arrived on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day in 2018.

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