Topeka Zoo announces 2 giraffes are pregnant

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Topeka Zoo officials say two of their giraffes are pregnant.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that zoo director Brendan Wiley announced Friday that both of the zoo’s giraffes, named Hope and Abi, are expecting calves sometime between May and June.

The gestation period is about 15 months, but the staff isn’t sure when the calves were conceived. The male giraffe, Sgt. Peppers, was transferred to Topeka from Oklahoma City in 2013.

Wiley says the giraffe pregnancies are bringing some joy to his staff after the death of the zoo’s lowland gorilla in August and the death of an African elephant in December.

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Information from: The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, http://www.cjonline.com