BALTIMORE — Since her surprise birth in March, the Maryland Zoo's newest baby giraffe has lived it's first days without an official name.
The Zoo has their own unique way of selecting names for its animals.
Anyone donating $100 or more is entered into a contest.
The winner gets to submit a list of animal names, for Zoo staff to choose from.
With all the anticipation and excitement building, the Zoo on Thursday revealed the baby giraffe's name.
Drum roll please... the winning name is Titali, which in the Bulu language, means butterfly.
Titali was born to Kipepeo the giraffe, who arrived in Maryland back in November 2024.
Unbeknownst to zookeepers Kipepeo was pregnant, despite there being no record of prior breeding.
RELATED: Kipepeo the giraffe unexpectedly gives birth at the Maryland Zoo
Like mother like daughter, Kipepeo also means butterfly, but in Swahili.
She too got her name following a contest promoted by the Zoo.
MORE: Meet Kipepeo, the Maryland Zoo's newest giraffe
While things have gone well thus far for Kipepeo and Titali, the baby's carefully being introduced to the zoo's other female giraffe, Kesi.
For now, the plan is for visitors to see Titali sometime in the next few weeks.
“Giraffe are cautious when it comes to new experiences and, right now, everything is new to Titali, from the sounds in the barn to interacting with staff and the other giraffe,” said Erin Cantwell-Grimm, Mammal Curator at Maryland Zoo.
Currently zoo goers can meet Okapi the giraffe, who is hanging in the outside habitat, while Titali continues getting used to things inside.
