Mazel tov! Israeli zoo celebrates birth of baby giraffe

After a difficult but ultimately successful labor, one of the giraffes at the Ramat Gan Safari, a 250-acre safari park near Tel Aviv, Israel, gave birth to a healthy calf.Veterinary staff stepped in to help when they noticed the labor had stalled. Fortunately, there was a happy result and the newborn was standing on his own within an hour.Giraffes at the park are traditionally given names starting

Nov. 15, 2011, 6:53 PM UTC

By Animal Tracks

After a difficult but ultimately successful labor, one of the giraffes at the Ramat Gan Safari, a 250-acre safari park near Tel Aviv, Israel, gave birth to a healthy calf.

Veterinary staff stepped in to help when they noticed the labor had stalled. Fortunately, there was a happy result and the newborn was standing on his own within an hour.

Giraffes at the park are traditionally given names starting with "D"; the mother giraffe's name, for instance, is Dikla. The public is being asked to suggest "D" names for the new calf.

Dikla licks her 1-day-old calf at the Ramat Gan Safari near Tel Aviv on Nov. 14.Nir Elias / Reuters

For more on the happy but complicated birth, click here.