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Cape May County Zoo Welcomes Two Adorable New Additions

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, N.J. (CBS) --  Staff at the Cape May County Zoo have their hands full with two new additions, an adorable giraffe calf and an 8-month-old Dromedary Camel named Marty.

Officials at the zoo say the female baby giraffe was born in December, already standing 6 feet tall and walking about five minutes later!

Giraffe calf 12-15
It's a girl! (photo credit Kim Simpkins)

That's typical for giraffes after birth and in about 20 minutes, they can run as fast as their mothers.

The calf, who doesn't yet have a name, was born to Joanie and Sterling.

giraffe calf with mom 12-15
Cape May County Zoo's new female giraffe calf, pictured with mother "Joanie" two days after birth. (photo credit Kim Simpkins)

Joanie was born in 2006 at the Bronx Zoo and came to Cape May County Zoo in four years ago.

Sterling is the only male giraffe at the zoo and is 20 years old!

The new calf will be kept inside because of the cold weather, but the zoo says she'll make her public debut in the spring.

Marty the camel arrived on January 4th from Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York.

Marty Camel
"Marty" the camel. (photo credit Kim Simpkins)

Dromedary camels live in deserts and scrublands from Northern Africa to western India.

They are herbivores and can drink 30 gallons of water in just 10 minutes.

The staff says Marty is a little "sweetie" and once he grows up, he'll join the resident female Dromedary camel, Carly.

You can see Marty everyday at the zoo from 10 am until 3:45 pm.

For more information about the zoo, click here.

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