INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Zoo on Monday announced the name of its newest addition, a male reticulated giraffe calf.
The Zoo’s Facebook fans chose the name “Kendi” from three options pre-selected by the Zoo’s animal care team. Kendi, an African name, means “loved one”.
More than 51,000 votes were tallied over a two-week period on Facebook. Thousands of people from across the United States and Canada and even the United Kingdom participated in the poll, although most voters were Facebook fans from central Indiana.
Kendi was born on Nov. 8 to 3-year-old first-time mother Kita. The calf weighed 137 pounds and stood about six feet tall at birth.
The Zoo’s giraffe herd, which is now up to five, will spend much of the winter inside a climate-controlled indoor facility. The new family is expected to make its public debut in the spring.
