Norfolk, Va. – The Virginia Zoo has finally named their newest addition to the giraffe family–Joshua!
Joshua was the number one crowd favorite name and got the majority of the votes.
Sebastian was close behind and Jabari, which means brave and fearless in Swahili, came in third place.
The zoo staff submitted their favorite names that the public could choose for the giraffe.
The public voted on the names at the zoo’s website until midnight on September 6.
“The Zoo staff has been anxiously awaiting to call this baby giraffe by name,” Executive Director Greg Bockheim said.
The male calf was born on July 23 and weighed 152 pounds. He was six and a half feet tall!
The males of Joshua’s species of giraffes can grow up to 18 feet.
Females can grow up to 14 feet.
Joshua, his parents, and big sister Noelly can be visited in the Zoo’s Africa Okavango Delta exhibit.
