News and Stories

CINCINNATI, OH (March 12, 2026) — The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is thrilled to announce that Tessa, a 19-year-old female giraffe, is pregnant with her fifth calf! The baby is due to join the rest of the tower (a group of giraffes), five-year-old father Zeke, Zoey, and half-brother Fennessy, in Giraffe Ridge sometime in October.

“The keeper team sent us an ultrasound photo, so we decided to have a little fun with our social media followers and let them guess who’s pregnant,” said Cincinnati Zoo’s marketing manager Amy LaBarbara. “We got 1400 guesses on Facebook alone, and very few of those were giraffe!”

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“We weren’t sure that Tessa could still conceive and were a little discouraged when we didn’t see signs of breeding,” said Cincinnati Zoo giraffe keeper Teresa Truesdale. “It turns out that the breeding was happening at night when we weren’t around!”

This pairing was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Giraffe Species Survival Plan (SSP), so the introduction of this genetic combination to the AZA population is important.

It’s also great news as we look forward to eventually doubling the size of our herd when we open Giraffe Tower in the next couple of years. This brand-new habitat, which will be located in and around the historic elephant building, will greatly expand space and opportunities for Cincinnati’s giraffe herd. Giraffe Tower will provide immersive experiences for visitors, including more feeding and behind-the-scenes opportunities.

In addition to providing a better home for giraffes in Cincinnati, the Zoo also proudly supports giraffe conservation efforts across the globe through its longstanding partnership with the Wild Nature Institute (WNI). Since 2014, this collaboration has advanced scientific research on wild giraffes in Tanzania and fostered community science and coexistence initiatives that benefit both local communities and wildlife.

By connecting field research and visitor experiences, the zoo helps raise awareness about the challenges giraffes face in the wild — from habitat loss to human-wildlife conflict — while inspiring guests to act for wildlife protection. Learn more about how the zoo supports giraffe conservation and other global efforts here.

The Zoo will be sharing pregnancy updates on its social channels.  Visitors can also watch Tessa’s bump grow in person.  The Zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.  Members are invited to enter the Zoo one hour earlier, one of the many perks of belonging to the Zoo family.  Zoo Memberships, sponsored by Thomas & Galbraith Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical, are on sale now – April 30!   All memberships include access to virtual cams, including the giraffe cam!