COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - It's a race to 200.
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs has two pregnant giraffes and whichever one gives birth first will welcome the zoo's 200th calf.
Zoo staff said female giraffes Muziki and Laikipia both mated with male Khalid around Valentine's Day 2017 and blood tests in June showed both were pregnant. However, only Muziki had been confirmed pregnant through a second round of blood work.
Additional blood tests were done and as of Wednesday, Laikipia was confirmed to be pregnant as well.
Since a giraffe's pregnancy typically lasts for 14.5 to 15 months, Laikipia and Muziki are expected to give birth sometime in late April or early May.
The baby giraffes will be the 200th and 201st giraffe calves born at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo since the zoo started breeding giraffes in 1954.
The zoo said it is planning to have a camera inside the giraffes' enclosure so that fans can watch and wait for the baby giraffe(s) to arrive, much like millions of people did when April the giraffe gave birth last year.
