Reid Park Zoo invites Tucsonans to name baby giraffe 🦒

Reid Park Zoo is asking Tucsonans to help name their new baby giraffe.

The male calf, born on Feb. 23, is the second born to the zoo’s resident giraffes, Penelope (Penny), and Jasiri, as part of Reid Park Zoo’s participation in the Species Survival Plan. Chelo Grubb, Reid Park Zoological Society marketing and communications supervisor, said that both Penelope and the baby are doing well.

“He is very cute. He's been exploring the larger giraffe habitat at the zoo recently,” Grubb said. “He and his mom are still kind of off and on habitat as they're getting to know each other.”

She said guests are starting to be able to see the pair during zoo hours, with the best chance of spotting them in the morning.

“If people don't see them on their first pass through the zoo, if they want to circle back before they leave, that's always a good idea,” Grubb said. “I've been seeing him more regularly in the morning and occasionally in the afternoon.”

Now three weeks old, the young giraffe needs a name, and the public is invited to cast their vote between the top three names selected by the calf’s care team.

“Whenever we're naming animals at the zoo, we like for them to become a talking point so we can talk about the animals in the wild,” Grubb said. “Whether that is being named after a specific region, or something meaningful from the language spoken in the region where they are in the wild.”

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The names chosen by the team are:

Mugie (pronounced “moo-ghee”) — The name of a national park in Kenya where there is a population of reticulated giraffes.

Zawadi (pronounced “zah-wah-dee”) — A Swahili name meaning “gift”

Ndizi (pronounced “n-DEE-zee”) — Swahili for banana, since he was born on National Banana Bread Day.

To vote, you can visit the Reid Park Zoo's website. The poll will close on Tuesday, March 31, at noon, and Reid Park Zoo will announce the winner later that week.

“We cannot wait to see what the public chooses,” Grubb said.

She also said that visitors can look forward to future events celebrating the zoo’s giraffes.

“We usually celebrate World Giraffe Day in June,” Grubb said. “So I'm sure more details are to come.”