FOLSOM — During a rush to prepare more than 2,000 animals ahead of a Category 2 hurricane, a precious moment forced staff members at the Global Wildlife Center to take a break.The day before Hurricane Francine made landfall, a pregnant giraffe, Sarah, gave birth inside a barn. The newborn calf weighed 147 pounds and stood nearly six feet tall.Animal caregivers at GWC named the baby giraffe 'Frannie,' short for Francine."We had been waiting for this baby for a little while but it's hard to predict exactly when the births are going to happen. So I like to joke that a drop in the barometric pressure makes it happen every time," Christina Cooper, executive director at GWC, said.Giraffes have a gestation period that lasts between 13 and 15 months, which makes it hard to pinpoint an exact due date for expecting giraffe mothers. Cooper said the birth went "like clockwork" and in less than an hour, Frannie was already standing up and nursing.Frannie is a fourth-generation giraffe at the GWC. Her great-grandmother Camille is 31 years old and still going strong. The average lifespan for giraffes is 25 years but they live longer in captivity with great care, Cooper explained.Right now, the GWC is expecting two more baby giraffes. Frannie is currently in isolation with her mother for bonding time but will be released onto the grounds in a week.Permalink| Comments