Online voters christen Cincinnati Zoo's baby giraffe Zuri

4/16/2011
ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • Tessa-giraffe-Cincinnati-Zoo

    Tessa, a 4-year-old Maasai giraffe, left, and her calf were on display earlier this month at the Cincinnati Zoo.

    Cincinnati Zoo

    • Tessa, a 4-year-old Maasai giraffe, left, and her calf were on display earlier this month at the Cincinnati Zoo.
    Tessa, a 4-year-old Maasai giraffe, left, and her calf were on display earlier this month at the Cincinnati Zoo.

    CINCINNATI — The new baby giraffe at the Cincinnati Zoo will be named Zuri following an online vote.

    The zoo narrowed a list of more than 4,000 suggested names to three and asked the public to vote this week on its blog. It says more than 9,000 people voted, and Zuri got more than 4,800 votes.

    The zoo says Zuri means "beautiful" in Swahili. The other name finalists were Mara and Nya.

    The female giraffe was born two weeks ago. It's the first giraffe born at the zoo in more than 25 years.

    The giraffe has not made its public debut outdoors but has bonded with its parents in an indoor stall at the giraffe exhibit. Visitors can view the newborn and its parents through windows and on a video monitor.