Tumi The Giraffe Inspires Hope At Haddonfield Children's Zoo

HADDONFIELD, NJ — The life-sized bronze giraffe that recently moved to the Haddonfield Children’s Sculpture Zoo now has a name. The Haddonfield Outdoor Sculpture Trust (HOST)’s board chose the name Tumaini, nicknamed Tumi, because it means “hope” in Swahili.

The name was submitted by 11-year-old Elizabeth Asher, who will be entering sixth grade at Haddonfield Middle School in the fall, from more than 200 names that were submitted. For submitting the winning entry, Asher won a family package of tickets to the Philadelphia Zoo.

Depicting the tallest land mammal standing upright, the sculpture is cast in bronze and measures 12 feet in height, nearly six feet from chest to rear, and its belly spanning nearly three feet.

It accurately details characteristics such as the horn-like protuberances ("ossicones"), the striking, patterned coat, and its most distinctive feature — the elongated neck. The zoo is already home to a bunny rabbit, a sea lion and a toad.

The 1,000-pound, 15-foot-tall Tumi took up residence at the Haddonfield Children’s Sculpture Zoo in May. Read more here: Haddonfield Giraffe Sculpture Installed At Zoo; Name Still Sought