After a spirited live auction and fundraising gala at the Dallas Zoo, the winning bidder paid $50,000 for the chance to name a newborn giraffe born Oct. 26. The money will go to conservation groups helping giraffes in the wild.
The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has requested that the public be involved in the naming of the giraffe. The Dallas Zoo is asking the public’s vote in naming the male calf.Those interested, can vote in favor of one of three names suggested by the anonymous donor:
- Kopano – from Botswana, meaning “united”
- Usawa – “equality” in Swahili
- Shingo – “neck” in Swahili
The voting contest will also benefit Dallas/Fort Worth area children. As voters select a name for the zoo’s newest resident, they will be asked to nominate a DFW-area school they’d like to win a free animal visit from the Dallas Zoo’s Animal Adventures Team. The winning school will be selected at random.
“We’re very grateful to this special donor, and are happy to set this up to involve the public and local schools,” said Gregg Hudson, chief executive officer and president of the Dallas Zoo. “There is very high interest in this new calf and we can’t wait to see what his name will be.”
Voting ends at 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 9. The winning name and school will be announced Monday, Nov. 10.
For more information, or to vote, visit the Dallas Zoo website.
