Spotless giraffe born at in Bright’s Zoo in Tennessee needs a name

A Tennessee zoo is asking the public to help name a rare spotless giraffe that was born last month.

The giraffe was born at Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tenn., on July 31 and is on view at the zoo. This is the only known spotless giraffe according to zoo officials and the last known example was born at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo.

The newborn is a reticulated giraffe, an endangered species that was added to The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List in 2018. Zoo officials are hoping the attention paid to the spotless newborn will help conservation efforts.

“The international coverage of our patternless baby giraffe has created a much-needed spotlight on giraffe conservation. Wild populations are silently slipping into extinction, with 40% of the wild giraffe population lost in just the last three decades,” Tony Bright, the founder of Brights Zoo said in a press release.

Spotless giraffe will have vote to choose name

The zoo will open a vote for the female giraffe’s name on its Facebook page on August 22 where people can choose one of four names:

•  Kipekee, which means “unique”
• Firyali, which means “unusual or extraordinary”
• Shakiri, which means “she is most beautiful”
• Jamella, which means “one of great beauty”