A few weeks ago, the North Carolina Zoo reached out to its online community seeking assistance in naming their latest addition, a baby giraffe. After receiving an overwhelming response of more than 100,000 suggestions, the calf has a name - Fenn.
Fenn, who was born on May 20, tipping the scale at 145 pounds and standing an impressive 6 feet tall, is named in honor of Julian and Stephanie Fennessy, the founders of @Save_Giraffe.
Several other names were proposed, including Nelson, in honor of Nelson Mandela, Mosi, an African term for “firstborn son,” Tamu, Swahili for “sweet,” Jackson, a nod to the calf’s father, Jack, and Bongani, a Zulu name meaning “grateful, thankful.”
Fenn’s parents are first-time mom Leia, born at Zoo Miami in 2009 before arriving at the North Carolina Zoo in 2014, and Jack, born at Dickerson Park Zoo in 2008 and brought to North Carolina a year later.