Baby giraffe draws crowds of visitors on Long Island

MELVILLE, N.Y. - Visitors have smiles and selfies for Savanna the baby giraffe at White Post Farms in Melville. 

"This is Long Island's first," White Post owner Ron Brigati said.

Savanna was born in August. The news of the newest member of the White Post Farms family is drawing crowds of animal lovers willing to wait on lines that stretch around the building to meet Savanna and her proud parents Patches and Oliver.

"We have them separated just so mommy has some time to herself with the baby and then supervised playtime after hours when daddy runs around with mommy and the baby," Brigati said. 

The family of three lives in the farm's new Giraffe Experience. It's an 8,000-square-foot space with heated floors, custom fencing and windows to watch who is waiting to come inside.

Visitors are learning new things.

"Their patterns are like fingerprints so every one of them is different," Brigati said. 

And they are even figuring out some surprising similarities. 

"Me and Savanna share a birthday," said one girl. 

Patches was pregnant for 15 months. Her labor was fast and easy. Savanna came out weighing 142 pounds. When she's fully grown, she can be up to 1,500 pounds.

"She was standing up right away," Brigati said. "Mommy took phenomenal care of her." 

In just a few years, Savanna will stand as tall as her parents stand and be able to eat carrots as snacks and make new friends.