The votes are in, and the Phoenix Zoo’s new baby Masai giraffe now has a name. The winner is: Kasi.
The name means “speed” in Swahili — a fitting name for the baby calf, who has been seen racing around her habitat in videos released by the zoo. She’s the fifth calf born to her mother, Sunshine.
The zoo’s Joaquin Hidalgo says people cannot see Kasi right now as she’s taking time to adjust in the facility.
“They can’t see her at the zoo right this second because right now she’s in the barn with her mom. That’s kind of really important for these first few weeks for her to adjust to her mother and the kind of the routine of everything. We want her to be safe and we wanted to make sure she's healthy,” he said.
He also says Kasi enjoys being active.
“One of the big things, right, is that her name is ‘zoomies.’ She likes to run around. Our keepers actually have to now baby-proof the savannah where she's gonna get to live out in that big field just to make sure that she doesn't run into anything that, you know, could hurt her or trip on something,” he said.
Masai giraffes are an endangered species. Hidalgo says Kasi’s birth marks a “big win” for conservation efforts.
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Conservationists say the plans for managing the declining species could push them closer to extinction.
