11-year-old endangered Masai giraffe at the Toronto Zoo is pregnant

An endangered Masai giraffe at the Toronto Zoo is expecting another calf.

The zoo announced on Sunday that Mstari, an 11.5-year-old Masai giraffe, is pregnant.

Mstari, who belongs to an endangered species, is six months into her 13 to 16-month-long pregnancy and is doing well so far, a news release by the zoo says.

Her due date is estimated to be late winter to early spring, 2026, based on her previous pregnancies, the zoo officials say.

Mstari gave birth to another calf - Matu – in 2022 but the two-year-old giraffe died last summer while under general anesthesia for a castration procedure.

For her third calf, Mstari was paired with 12.5-year-old Kiko as a part of a cooperative breeding program among accredited zoos called the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Masai Giraffe Species Survival Plan® (SSP).

The Wildlife Care staff collected Mstari’s feces three times a week to monitor her hormone levels in preparation for the introduction of the two animals.

Their breeding introductions were carefully observed by the staff until Nov. 4, 2024, the zoo says.

Two months later, the zoo’s Reproductive Science team confirmed that Mstari showed normal hormonal signs of being pregnant after analyzing several months of her fecal samples for pregnancy hormones.

Masai giraffes were designated as “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN) in December 2018.

Less than 35,000 Masai giraffes live in the wild after a more than 50 per cent decline in the past 30 years due to illegal hunting and habitat loss, the zoo says.

“The reality for many species is simple: Out of sight, out of mind, and off the planet,” Dolf DeJong, CEO of Toronto Zoo says.

“Accredited zoos like your Toronto Zoo play a critical role in ensuring a better future for wildlife and wild spaces, and as Guardians of Wild we are proud to be contributing to the population of this endangered species.”