The Garden City Telegram
Email this story | Add Your Comment
| Read (0) Comments
Zoo's giraffe now known as Hasani
Published 1/6/2009 in News
By STEPHANIE FARLEY
The wait is over for the naming of Lee Richardson Zoo's newest giraffe.
Click to Purchase Photo Reprints!
Stephanie Farley/Telegram — Hasani spends time with its mother, Penny, on Monday at Lee Richardson Zoo. The new giraffe's name is the result of a naming contest and was announced this morning.
The winning name: Hasani, which is Swahili for "handsome."
The giraffe was born Nov. 23, with Zoo Director Kathy Sexson stating, at the time, zoo keepers arrived that morning "to find that the stork had brought an early Thanksgiving blessing." After being born, the giraffe stood at about six feet tall, weighing about 100 pounds. The calf is the third for 11-year-old mom, Penny.
The new name is the result of a naming contest in which the public was encouraged to use its money to choose the favorite name for the giraffe — Hasani for "handsome," Saburi for the "patience" staff needed while waiting for the baby to stand the first time or Tatu for the "third child" of the proud mother. The zoo used the name raising the most money.
Proceeds go to benefit the zoo's future project of Cat Canyon, which is currently being fundraised for. The contest raised $338.27 from eight voting boxes distributed around town. The name Hasani raised $152.24. Tatu raised $133.29, and Saburi brought in $52.74.
Sexson said the zoo has done naming contests before -- once for the elephants in which the public suggested names and then for the lions, with the zoo suggesting names and having the public choose. The immediate idea of a naming contest for the new giraffe came from Manhattan's Sunset Zoo doing a similar contest to name a chimpanzee.
Sexson said staff thought it was a good way to get the public involved, as well as raise money for Cat Canyon.
As of this morning, according to Christine Siebert, development director for Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo, $380,368.34 has been raised for the project, leaving $219,631.66 to raise of the initial $600,000 supporters hope to gather for the project.
Cat Canyon is set to include the bobcat, puma and jaguar sections, as well as a two-story building with holding areas for the animals on the upper floor and a viewing area on the ground floor. The yards and holding areas will be bigger for the animals, and safety will be increased by keepers being able to see where the animals are as they step into the holding areas.
Voting stations included the zoo office, Safari Shoppe, Office Solutions, Dillon's East, Ward's Garden Center, Commerce Bank (Main Street location) and KIUL Radio.
The public was encouraged to "break open your little piggy bank for a not-so-little giraffe and vote for your favorite name at one of several locations around town. Drop your dollars or coins into the container representing your name of choice," a release from the zoo stated.
The names were narrowed down to three Swahili names representing the baby's continent of origin, Africa.
The calf's father and older brother, Kasuku, born June 13, 2007, will remain separated from the calf and its mother until the baby is older and steadier on its feet, according to the zoo.
On the Web
Lee Richardson Zoo: www.garden-city.org/zoo/
Found 0 comment(s)!
Twitter Updates
