Md. Zoo Baby Giraffe Continuing Intensive Care Treatment

click to expand

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore posted on social media on Sunday that baby giraffe Julius received an emergency transfusion of giraffe plasma donated by our partners at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

They are continuing to work with Julius on bottle feeding to help him gain weight.

"It's been a long day for the team that will continue into the night as Julius is cared for moment by moment. The number one priority is Julius' health, so expect that updates may not be as frequent or prompt during this challenging time," writes the Zoo in a statement on Facebook.

On Saturday, the Zoo wrote that there was a sudden and major change in the three-week-old giraffe's blood work, which caused serious concern for Julius' care team, and moved him into intensive care.

Julius was six feet tall and 143 pounds at the time of his birth, but initial tests showed the newborn had insufficient antibodies to protect him from disease and began treating him with plasma transfusions.

Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook