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Cameron Park Zoo is excited to announce the birth of a female Masai giraffe who was born at the zoo on Friday, June 23 at 5:10 am. She is 6 ft. 7 inches tall and weighs 156 pounds. Her mom, Penelope, was born on May 9, 2013, and came to Cameron Park Zoo from the San Diego Zoo. Her dad, Dane, was born on April 18, 2013 and came from the Santa Barbara Zoo. The birth of this calf is important to her species as the Masai giraffes are currently endangered, and is the second calf born to this pair at Cameron Park Zoo. The Cameron Park Zoological & Botanical Society is holding a naming contest for this little lady beginning June 27, 2023 through July 9, 2023. Name choices are Adelaide (kind/noble), Kalani (royal/majesty), Kira (throne), and Zuri (beautiful). Each participant will pay $5 per vote to help choose a name. The funds raised from the contest will go to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. The Masai giraffe is the largest species of giraffe and can be found in Central and Southern Kenya, as well as in Tanzania. They are known for their distinct and irregular star-like blotches that extend to their hooves. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global authority on the conservation status of wild animals and plants, lists Masai giraffes as endangered, primarily due to poaching and habitat fragmentation. This new calf’s birth was based on a SSP (Species Survival Plan) breeding recommendation, which was given to help maintain a genetically diverse and self-sustaining population of a particular species under professional care. For more information about the Cameron Park Zoo and the Zoological & Botanical Society, visit www.cameronparkzoo.com.