A giraffe calf named Milani has defied extraordinary odds to survive after being born via emergency C-section at Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Wichita, Kansas. The calf was given only a five percent chance of survival following the rare procedure.
The situation arose earlier this month when Milani's mother, Virtue, experienced organ failure while pregnant. Veterinarians determined that a terminal C-section was the only option to potentially save the calf, a procedure where the mother does not survive. Following the calf's delivery, Virtue was humanely euthanized.
The park's veterinary team consulted with giraffe neonatal specialists and veterinarians, none of whom had encountered a premature calf surviving this type of delivery. Giraffes typically give birth standing up, a process that helps the calf take its first breath and break the umbilical cord after a six-foot fall. Newborns usually stand within 20 minutes and nurse within an hour, receiving crucial antibodies from their mother's colostrum.
Milani's survival required intensive round-the-clock monitoring, plasma transfusions to provide antibodies she could not receive from her mother, controlled feedings, and assisted standing sessions. The park announced her name, Milani, on July 25, signifying 'new birth' or 'new era.' The name also honors Mili, another giraffe whose donated plasma was vital to the calf's survival.
The Tanganyika team first noticed changes in Virtue's appetite and mood, leading to tests that revealed a sharp increase in her lactate levels, signs of a clotting disorder, and irreversible organ shutdown. A subsequent necropsy of Virtue indicated advanced heart and kidney disease, along with a uterine cyst, suggesting her death was unavoidable.
The park's staff worked immediately to clear Milani's airways, dry her, administer oxygen, and stimulate her breathing, all while closely monitoring her heart and lungs. The Tanganyika team noted that Milani was born premature and delivered through a procedure that no documented giraffe calf had previously survived, requiring her body to perform functions it was not fully prepared for.
Despite the critical condition, Milani has reached several milestones, including standing and sitting unassisted, running and jumping in her enclosure, and moving without an IV. The wildlife team has shared updates showcasing her progress, with many hailing her survival as a medical first and a miracle birth. Tanganyika Wildlife Park has a strong record, with over 90 giraffe calves born there in the past 30 years, but Milani's birth represents a significant and unprecedented event in the park's history.