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Baby giraffes take a bow

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The Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert on Thursday introduced its newborn giraffe to the public.

The as-yet unnamed 6-foot, 139-pound male was born Wednesday to mother Dadisi and her mate, Hesabu, said Liz Hile, curator of animals for The Living Desert.

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The baby reticulated giraffe will eventually join its older sibling, Mutombo, on display at the zoo.

Reticulated giraffes, one of nine recognized sub-species native to northeastern Kenya and eastern Sudan, are so named because of their chestnut-colored patches connected by a network of white lines.

The markings, which are believed to help giraffes recognize one another, are analogous to human fingerprints because they are unique. Giraffes grow quickly, as much as three feet in the first six months of life.

Mutombo, born on Sept. 27, 2006, and named after Dikembe Mutombo, a humanitarian and NBA player for the Houston Rockets, is considered one of the zoo’s premier attractions, Hile said.

Meanwhile, as seen in this video, another baby giraffe also made its debut recently, this time in Rome:

-- Francisco Vara-Orta

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