What’s in a giraffe’s name? Hope

BINGHAMTON More than two weeks after its birth, Animal Adventure Park’s baby giraffe finally has a name, and it was chosen by someone the calf is very familiar with.

Alyssa Swilley, giraffe keeper at the park, chose the name Tajiri for April the giraffe’s calf, who weighed 130 pounds and stood at 5 foot, 9 inches at birth.

Announced on Facebook with park owner Jordan Patch, Swilley was given the opportunity to name the calf based on a voting contest which included an option for “Alyssa’s choice.” She chose the name Tajiri. After two rounds and 15 days of public voting, Alyssa’s choice beat other picks such as Patches, Unity and Geoffrey, which were nominated for $ 1 on the park’s voting website.

In a Facebook Live video Monday morning, Swilley explained the meaning behind the name and how she arrived at it.

Alyssa’s choice wasn’t just my choice,” she said. She enlisted keeper Corey Dwyer’s help and the two sat down and came to the decision together.

Swilley said Tajiri is a Swahili name for “hope” and “confidence.”

“It is a hope for giraffes,” she said. “We have been able to give giraffes a voice ... and given the species a hope.”

The birth of Tajiri on April 15 was watched by about 1.2 million people on YouTube and nearly 750,000 watched from the zoo’s Facebook page. April the giraffe’s pregnancy captivated thousands with people tuning in from around the world to watch the zoo’s livestream.

Officials announced previously the money raised from the contest was to be divided between giraffe conservation in the wild, giraffe care at Animal Adventure Park and the park’s Ava’s Little Heroes annual fundraiser.

Park officials said they’ll call the giraffe “Taj,” for short.

Once Tajiri can fully eat on its own and is no longer nursing, it will be weaned from April. The process could take anywhere from six to 10 months, to 14 or 15 months, Patch said last month.

At that point, Tajiri will leave Animal Adventure Park.

Animal Adventure Park opens for the season May 13.

April the giraffe’s male calf has been named Tajiri, a Swahili word that means hope.