How long does the mother giraffe take care of its young?

After a 15 month pregnancy, a giraffe gives birth to a baby who is about 6 feet tall. Since the mama giraffe's birth canal is about 6 feet off the ground, the baby slides out, feet first and flops over. This is a good thing. Its like the doctor slapping a human baby's feet to get her breathing. (In a number of zoos, the keepers thought it was a good idea to catch the baby, but they discovered it was not breathing, so they had to gently drop the babies to get them started. Now zookeepers know enough to stay out of it.)

Giraffes get mothers' milk, which is about 6 feet off the ground. There was a giraffe born in England named Margaret, who was only 4 1/2 feet tall, so the keepers have to milk the mom and feet Margaret with a bottle, because she could not reach her mom.

In nature, the babies drink milk, like calves do. They stay close to their mothers. Giraffe mothers lick their babies and stay close to them. The giraffes all stay together in a herd, so they can keep an eye out for each other. A giraffe defends itself with a good, hard kick. So, if something tried to mess with the herd, it would get kicked.