CLEVELAND — The newest giraffe born at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on April 15 needs a name – and you can help choose it!
Zoo officials announced a naming content Friday in which guests can vote for one of these three options for the baby giraffe:
- Bomani: Meaning "a warrior"
- Kidogo: Meaning "little"
- Mosi: Meaning "born first"
“Each of the names are unique to giraffes’ native regions in Africa,” zoo officials said. “The names also pay homage to the calf’s low birth weight. While he was born small for a typical male giraffe at 101 pounds, he has been fully integrated into the giraffe herd and has gained approximately 70 pounds.”
CLICK HERE to vote or cast a ballot by visiting the zoo’s giraffe encounter, which is where you can also capture an incredible selfie like this:
All donations raised in the naming contest will be used to help protect giraffes in the wild.
“The current giraffe population globally is estimated to be less than 80,000 and the population has decreased by nearly 40 percent in the last 15 years,” zoo officials say. “Cleveland Metroparks Zoo helps protect giraffes by addressing poaching and illegal snaring, translocating animals to secure endangered populations and also conducting studies on population and disease.”
The zoo will reveal the winning name on June 21, which just so happens to be World Giraffe Day.