A baby giraffe was born Monday evening at the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul.

A 7-year-old Como giraffe named Zinnia gave birth to the calf at 8:09 p.m., and the new arrival was already on its feet and standing next to mom by 8:50 p.m., according to a Tuesday news release.

The zoo’s staff was still allowing Zinnia to bond with the calf — her third — on Tuesday afternoon and had not yet determined its sex, height or weight.

The zoo expects the baby giraffe, which has not yet been named, to make its public debut in the next few weeks.

Its birth was the result of a recommendation made by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, whose Species Survival Plan is designed to “maximize genetic diversity, with the goal of ensuring the long-term survival of the AZA population and the health of individual animals,” Como said.

The calf’s birth comes eight months after Como’s oldest giraffe, 23-year-old Daisy, was euthanized by zoo staffers as a result of her severe degenerative arthritis.

With its newest addition, the zoo’s giraffe herd now consists of four animals, including a male named Skeeter and a female named Clover.

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