Dublin Zoo announced that its newest arrival, a rare female Rothschild Giraffe, has officially been named Tamu! The name means ‘sweet one’ in Swahili, and was submitted to the zoo by Grainne Byrne of Summerhill, County Meath.

Helen Clarke-Bennet, team leader of the African Plains said,“Tamu is doing very well standing tall at six feet with a pale tan coat which makes her easily recognisable among the herd. She is an extremely well adjusted and relaxed calf, following the herd wherever they wander. We received an overwhelming number of superb suggestions and picking the winning entry was not easy. We chose the name Tamu as it fits her personality perfectly!”

The Rothschild Giraffe is one of the most threatened of the nine giraffe sub-species. Rothschild males grow to 19.5 feet (six meters) in height and can weigh as much as 4,000 pounds (2000kg)! Their coat is a distinct mix of dark patches that are broken up by bright cream channels. Fewer than 700 now live in the wild.

Live footage of the giraffe herd can be seen anytime on Dublin Zoo’s African Savanna webcam.

Photo Credit: Dublin Zoo