Baby Giraffe At Illinois Zoo Needs A Name

PEORIA, IL — It's a girl! The Peoria Zoo welcomed its newest addition earlier this month with the birth of a baby giraffe. Now, the zoo is asking for helping naming the new baby, according to the Peoria Journal Star. Starting Jan. 26, the public can vote on the baby's name on the zoo website.

Name choices are not yet listed on the website, but will be posted soon.

The new baby isn't ready for visitors just yet and is bonding with its mother in the zoo's Africa! exhibit, according to the Peoria Zoo. Mom and baby will be able to accept zoo visitors on Feb. 1.

Online voting will last for one month and the winning name will be announced on March 1, according to the Peoria Journal Star.

Although the zoo didn't livestream the birth like a New York zoo did when now-famous April the Giraffe was getting ready to welcome her baby, it did document the moment the giraffe calf came into the world. Mama giraffe Vivian was in labor for roughly 2.5 hours and gave birth to the calf at 2:38 a.m. Jan. 7. According to the zoo, the average gestation period for a giraffe is 400 to 460 days, but Vivian's was 465.

"A camera was installed in Vivian's maternity holding stall to monitor and record the birth of a baby giraffe zoo staff has been monitoring the camera for 24/7 for months in preparation of the birth," the zoo said on its website. "When the big moment finally came, we captured the entire process."

The female calf was 5-foot-10 at birth and 122 pounds. The proud dad is Taji, a 10-year-old giraffe born at the Indianapolis Zoo. Mom Vivian is eight years old and was born at the Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina.

Including the still unnamed baby, the Peoria Zoo is now home to five giraffes. The baby giraffe is the first born at the zoo since July 2016.

In addition to helping name the baby giraffe, animal lovers can welcome the zoo's newest addition by purchasing items off the giraffe family's "registry" online.

Image via Peoria Zoo