HE’S tall, dark and handsome – and he’s only six days old.
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While the rest of us were scoffing Easter eggs last Sunday, Munzi the mother giraffe was enduring a far less dignified fate, pushing out a 100kg baby boy while standing up.
Mzuri, which is Swahili for “good looking”, hit the world with a thud, falling two metres to the ground.
Within minutes, he was standing up unassisted and within an hour was drinking from his mum and running around the exhibit.
The fifth giraffe at Darlington Point’s Altina Wildlife Park, Mzuri already stands taller than six-feet.
Altina founder Gino Altin said both calf and first time mum were doing well.
“It’s terrific; he’s all legs and eyes at the moment,” Mr Altin said.
“He will be reliant on his mother’s milk for up to a year and will start to eat solids around four months of age.”
The average gestation period for a giraffe is about 15 months.
Altina is one of four Australian zoos to be a nominated breeding facility for giraffes.
He said looking after the majestic African animals was no tall order.
The park’s giraffes munch through 10 cubic metres of leaves and branches and five bags of specially formulated muesli each day.
“Even cleaning their enclosures takes three hours,” Mr Altin said.
“They’re certainly our highest maintenance animal.”
Altina’s growing menagerie of exotic animals now includes white lion cubs, meerkats and capuchin monkeys after recent additions.
The white lions are among only 300 of the animal left in the world.
Throw in crocodiles, zebras and dozens of other animals and you’ve got a bona fide Riverina tourist attraction.
The park is a labour of love for Griffith couple Gloria and Gino Altin, who established it in 2004.
And while it has yet to turn profit, it is a testament to the Altins’ passion for protecting and showcasing endangered animals.
The facility has endured its share of controversy.
Late last year, the Altins plan to erect a 6.5 metres giraffe statue in the heart of Darlington Point was rejected by Murrumbidgee shire councillors, who feared it would be a distraction for passing drivers.
It was rejected despite a poll in The Area News revealing more than 80 per cent of respondents wanted it in the town.
The majority of local businesses also backed it, hoping it would bring a tourism boon.
