Giraffe born at San Diego Zoo Safari Park on Betty White’s 100th birthday

SAN DIEGO (Gray News) – Wildlife care specialists at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park announced the birth of a giraffe on what would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday.

The park said the giraffe was born Monday to first-time mom Zindzhi. While the calf has not yet been named, Twitter users are urging the park to name the animal Betty.

A wildlife advocate and lifelong animal lover, Betty White spent her life working with many conservation organizations, including San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

“We could not think of a more fitting way to remember her dedication to conservation than watching this newborn giraffe take their first steps,” the park wrote in a tweet.

The calf is the first giraffe born at the park in 2022.

Scientists have estimated that fewer than 100,000 giraffes are left in their native habitats – a decrease of more than 40 percent over the last 20 years. The decline is believed to be attributed to habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and poaching in certain regions.