Baby Giraffe In Maryland Zoo Placed In Intensive Care

BALTIMORE (AP) — A three-week-old baby giraffe has been placed in intensive care at a Maryland zoo after a sudden change in its bloodwork.

The calf, Julius, has been struggling since he was born June 15 at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. He received a plasma transfusion from a giraffe in Ohio a few days after he was born.

In a statement Saturday, the zoo said the changes in Julius' bloodwork are "a serious concern for the giraffe care and veterinary teams." He is receiving hour-by-hour care, and efforts are continuing to feed him by bottle.

Julius was six feet tall (1.83 meters) and 143 pounds (65 kilograms) at the time of his birth, but initial tests showed the newborn had insufficient antibodies to protect him from disease.

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