The rare spotless baby giraffe at Bright’s Zoo in Limestone has a name.
Director David Bright announced on the Today Show this morning the giraffe has been named Kipekee following a contest held on the zoo’s Facebook page that resulted in more than 40,000 votes. The zoo had narrowed down the contest to four names, Kipekee, Firyali, Shakiri and Jamella. The name Kipekee, which means unique, received 36 percent of the vote.
Kipekee was born at the zoo on July 31 without the iconic spots that define the species. Giraffe experts believe she is the only solid-colored reticulated giraffe living anywhere in the world. Bright’s Zoo says the last record of a giraffe being born without its trademark spots was in 1972 in Tokyo.
For more information about Kipekee and the best times to see her, visit brightszoo.com.
