Fort Worth Zoo Welcomed a Baby Giraffe Whose Name Is a Nod to His Birthday
Baby Korbel was born on Jan. 1, and he's named in honor of the champagne brand
Naming the Fort Worth Zoo's newest resident may seem like a tall order, but one baby giraffe has certainly earned his title.
On Thursday, the zoo announced the birth of Korbel, an adorable giraffe who was born on Jan. 1 and named accordingly after the popular champagne brand, given his lengthy stature.
Alongside a cute video shared to X (formerly Twitter), which was soundtracked by a bluesy piano tune, Fort Worth gave animal lovers a good view of Korbel when sharing the latest "surprise."
Related: Maryland Zoo Mourns the Unexpected Loss of 6-Year-Old Giraffe Who 'Inspired Joy and Compassion'
"Meet baby boy Korbel, the newest addition to our giraffe herd. Because he was born in the wee hours of Jan. 1, 2024, his name is a nod to the bottle of bubbly, Korbel," the zoo shared. "This little big guy is 6ft 3 inches and weighs 165 pounds."
In the video of the baby giraffe, he can be seen relaxing around other members of his species and getting loving licks from his mother, Corrie, who was born back in 2008, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
"He is bonding well with mom, Corrie, and has started to meet his other herd members," the zoo wrote in a follow-up post. "It is still too cold for Korbel to be outside, so he will stay in the barn for now. This has given him many opportunities to interact with enrichment."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
As for how his personality is shaping up, Korbel is "particularly fond of grapevine wreaths and a hanging mirror, where he catches glimpses of himself," the Fort Worth Zoo added.
"Stay tuned for more information on Korbel and when he will make his public debut!"
Korbel isn't Corrie's first baby, either. According to the zoo's website, she previously welcomed baby Dilly in January 2015. Dilly was born at 5 ft. 6 inches and 132 pounds.
Korbel, like Dilly, is part of a third generation of giraffes at the zoo, as Corrie is the daughter of Fort Worth's Kala. As recently as 2021, Kala was still welcoming additional giraffe babies.
While Korbel may be a new addition to the zoo, it also has a few elders living on its premises. In April 2023, silverback gorilla Ramses celebrated his 52nd birthday, as he's believed to be the oldest of his species in the world.
On X (formerly Twitter), a caretaker for Ramses pointed to his private life as one of the reasons for his age. "Being in the back area, we're able to keep a closer eye on him during the day and make sure that he's doing okay," Linda Roberts, the zoo's primate supervisor, said at the time. "So we get to see him more, and we get to interact with him more, and we can judge how he's doing better."
The gorilla first came to Fort Worth in 1992 and is best known for his human expressions and side-eye action.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.