BALTIMORE, MD – The public has spoken and the results of the naming contest for Maryland Zoo’s baby giraffe are in. The winning name is… Titali, which means butterfly in the Bulu language.
Zookeepers caring for the giraffe selected the name from a list of choices submitted by the contest winner. Anyone who donated $100 or more was entered to win naming rights. Proceeds from the contest directly support the Zoo’s animal care and wildlife conservation programs.
At this stage of Titali’s development, she has been carefully introduced to the Zoo’s other female, Kesi. If all goes according to plan she’ll be ready to meet the public for the first time in a few weeks.
“Giraffe are cautious when it comes to new experiences and, right now, everything is new to Titali, from the sounds in the barn to interacting with staff and the other giraffe,” said Erin Cantwell-Grimm, Mammal Curator at Maryland Zoo.
Maryland Zoo’s male giraffe and okapi (Okapia johnstoni) will be visible in their outside habitats but the interior of the Giraffe House remains closed until Titali is ready to be around large numbers of people.
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