The female giraffe was born at Brights Zoo in Limestone Tennessee on July 31, the zoo announced.
The giraffe is a solid brown colour and lacks the distinctive spot pattern giraffes are known for.
“Giraffe experts believe she is the only solid-colored reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet,” Brights Zoo a private, family-run facility stated in a release.
The baby giraffe is already six feet tall, is walking on her own and doing well under her mother’s care.
The last recorded birth of a spotless reticulated giraffe was believed to be in 1972 at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, based on archival images. Reticulated giraffes are a subspecies of giraffes, sadly suffering population decline, and are native to Africa.
“The international coverage of our patternless baby giraffe has created a much-needed spotlight on giraffe conservation,” Brights Zoo founder Tony Bright said.
“Wild populations are slightly slipping into extinction, with 40% of the wild giraffe population lost in just the last 3 decades.”
Brights Zoo director David Bright said the calf’s lack of spots might have been a challenge for it, had it been born in the wild.
“It’s better she’s born in captivity,” he told news channel WJHL. “In the wild, they use those spots for camouflage… By being solid colored, she may not be able to hide quite as well.”
Now that the rare giraffe has been revealed Brights Zoo is asking for help choosing the precious calf’s name. In a post on the Zoo’s Facebook page, the public are asked to contribute their favourite of four suggested names, all of Swahili origin, with voting lasting two weeks.
The options are:
Kipekee – Unique
Firyali – Unusual or Extraordinary
Shakiri – She is most beautiful
Jamella – One of great beauty
“[The Bright family has] looked at hundreds and thousands of names, their meanings,” said David Bright. “Those four are the four the family are all really attached to. So if she’s named one of those four, we’re very happy.”
The zoo, offers self-guided and guided tours, with topics including learning how to recognise animals at each exhibit and their unique adaptations for survival.
