WACO, Texas — The Cameron Park Zoo announced that the 6-foot-7-inch female Masai giraffe who was born at the zoo in June has been named Zuri.
Zuri was born on Friday, June 23 at about 5:10 a.m., she weighed a whopping 156 pounds.
Zuri is the daughter of Penelope, who came from the San Diego Zoo, and Dane, who came from the Santa Barbara Zoo.
The zoo says that this birth is important due to the Masai giraffes being endangered. This is the second calf that Penelope and Dane have had.
The Cameron Park Zoological & Botanical Society hosted a naming contest on Facebook that lasted from June 27 to July 9.
Participants were able to pay five dollars to cast their vote for any of the following names:
- Adelaide
- Kalani
- Kira
- Zuri
The final tally revealed a total of $750 was raised and $310 was raised for the name Zuri. All of the funds gathered in the naming contest are being donated to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.
The zoo says that Zuri is having her first outing on Tuesday, July 11, meaning she will be introduced to her outdoor exhibit for the very first time.
Zuri and her mother will be closely monitored during this outing to ensure that they are comfortable and safe in their new environment.