Mysuru, Jul 28 (IANS): Lakshmi, the female giraffe at Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden in Mysuru, has given birth to a healthy male calf, zoo officials said on Wednesday.

Zoo Executive Director Ajit Kulkarni, in a statement, said that this is the fourth calf of Lakshmi. The new-born calf, born on July 12 to Lakshmi and Bharat, is healthy and Lakshmi is taking good care of it, he added.

With this, there are as many as 22 giraffe calves (17 male and 5 female) born in captivity at the zoo till date.

The enclosure is closed for visitors as a precautionary measure to avoid disturbance to the newborn and its mother.

Mysuru zoo is one of the oldest zoos in country as it was established about 128 years ago, and according to its latest annual report, houses 587 types of mammals including endangered and exotic animals, 774 birds and 106 types of reptiles in its premises, spread over 78 acres in the heart of Mysuru city.

According to the report, Mysuru zoo also has to its credit of successfully shifting 14-month-old giraffe Jayachamarajendra to Assam state zoo-cum-Botanical Garden at Guwahati which is considered to be one of the longest Giraffe transportation programme by road covering 3,200 kms spanning eight days and seven nights starting on December 28, 2019 to January 5, 2020.