Is This Really How You Weigh A Giraffe?

A 1.8m tall giraffe was born at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, and in order to get all her measurables (height, weight) the zoo hilariously had a beefy man carry the baby zoo on a scale. It seems so calm!

They couldn’t find a bigger scale? Is this what they do for all animals? What about some crazy lion or tiger or hippopotamus!? Zookeepers (real life, not the movie) interest the heck out of me.

Turns out, the birth of a giraffe is pretty damn scary (for us humans, at least), as they actually have to endure a 1.8m headfirst drop. However! Greg Bockheim, executive director at the Virginia Zoo explained:

“The idea of a six-foot drop sounds scary to people, but it’s normal for a giraffe. It helps stimulate breathing to get the baby on its own – and since baby giraffes can be 6 feet tall and 150 pounds, the fall doesn’t seem so far to them.”

[Wavy via BuzzFeed]

Image: Craig Pelke