ASHEBORO, N.C. — World, meet Fenn!
The week of June 12, the North Carolina Zoo opened up public voting to help decide the name of the new baby giraffe calf that joined the herd.
After a week of voting, the polls closed and the ballots were counted.
After more than 100,000 votes Fenn was the name that stole the hearts of the public.
Fenn is named after the founders of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Julian and Stephanie Fennessey. How fitting!
The other options that were offered up were:
- Nelson - After the famous leader Nelson Mandela
- Mosi - African name used for "first born son”
- Jackson - “Son of Jack,” the calf’s dad is named Jack
- Tamu - Swahili for "sweet" since he was born on World Bee Day, and bees make sweet honey
- Bongani - This Zulu name means “grateful, thankful.”
The baby boy was born on Saturday, May 20 to mom Leia and dad Jack. He was last reported to be a staggering 6 ft. tall and 145 lbs.
According to the Zoo, Fenn is expected to reach 10-12 ft. by his first birthday and full height by his fourth birthday.
Male giraffes can reach up to 18 ft. tall and can weigh 3,000 pounds
The calf is the fifth member of the herd, with males Turbo and Jack and females Leia and Amelia, said the Zoo.
You can learn more about the NC Zoo's giraffe conservation work and research on their blog.
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