Please Say Hello to Julius the Giraffe

This is Julius. Say hello to Julius.

CBS Baltimore reports that’s the name that the Maryland Zoo has chosen for the baby giraffe born June 15. An announcement from the zoo explained the choice:

“The name means ‘youthful, downy-bearded,’ both of which he is,” commented Erin Cantwell, mammal collection and conservation manager. “But for us, the name Julius is a strong name representing his bloodline with his father Caesar. We are certainly hoping this name gives him added strength as we continue to provide around-the-clock specialized care for him.”

Julius apparently got off to a bit of a rough start:

Yesterday was a challenging day for Julius, and the teams caring for him. “Julius gained two more pounds and showed some promising progress taking more milk from the bottle, but general weakness and changes in his blood work caused concern for the team, which has lead to more intensive care,” continued Cantwell. “He has been a cooperative patient and has responded well to treatment for now, but we are still not out of the woods yet.”

It looks like everyone is working very hard, Julius included. Good luck to Julius and also to the team taking care of him.