A Giraffe calf is thriving behind the scenes at Taronga Western Plains Zoo, despite being rejected by his mother shortly after birth.

The male calf was born to experienced mother Nyah on December 2, but did not suckle. Abandoned by his mother, keepers intervened to commence hand-rearing, implementing around-the-clock care and feeding.
Keepers have named the calf ‘Msumeno’, a Swahili word meaning ‘seesaw’, because his condition was so “up-and-down” in his early weeks.
 

“It was a bit touch and go in the beginning,” Keeper Leigh Drayton said.
“Msumeno didn’t have a suckle response so getting milk into him was a real challenge, but at the 11th hour he started drinking milk on his own. Hand-raising the calf has been challenging but very rewarding and we’re really happy to see him doing really well.”

 
The calf is now over three months old and at over 120 kilograms has doubled his birth weight, but he is not yet ready to join the main herd as he doesn’t reliably respond to keepers’ calls to come and feed.
Instead, he has been introduced to his father Mtoto, who currently lives separately to the Zoo’s main breeding herd.

“An experienced father weighing in at about one tonne, Mtoto has very gently showed his calf the ropes,” Leigh said.

“Mtoto has been great with his calf, teaching him what to eat and what not to eat, and it’s great to see Msumeno exploring his surroundings and learning from his dad.

“Msumeno also has fence contact with our 16-strong breeding herd, including fellow calves Miguu, Nala, Asani and Chacha. The next challenge is to transition Msumeno onto solid foods as quickly as possible so he can integrate into the herd and continue to grow and develop with the four other calves born here last year.”

Msumeno’s birth brings the total Giraffe population at Taronga Western Plains Zoo to 25, making it one of the largest holders of the species in the Australasian region.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo has made a significant contribution to the regional conservation breeding program for Giraffe, welcoming 65 calves since 1990, including five in 2024: Miguu, Nala, Asani, Chacha and Msumeno.

These animals serve as an important insurance population for their wild counterparts in Africa, whose numbers have declined by about 40 per cent since the 1980s. The main threats facing Giraffe in the wild include poaching, habitat loss and degradation, human population growth, disease, war and civil unrest. In addition to the breeding program, Taronga supports anti-poaching and wildlife monitoring activities in Africa.

Visitors to Taronga Western Plains Zoo can make a difference for species like Giraffe simply by visiting the Zoo, staying overnight, or buying a gift or encounter. Taronga is not-for-profit, so every dollar spent at the Zoo has the power to protect wildlife like Giraffe.