CINCINNATI — A giraffe born recently at the Cincinnati Zoo now has a name.
The male calf born Nov. 23 has been named Theo. Zoo officials said in a news release Monday that they picked that name because it means “divine gift.”
“He was the gift that our team needed following the death of the calf’s dad a week before he arrived,” said Christina Gorsuch, curator of mammals.
Baby giraffe kisses from Theo! ?❤️ This mama's boy is now 144 pounds! pic.twitter.com/F1cWD2LQ0M
— Cincinnati Zoo (@CincinnatiZoo) December 3, 2019
Kimba, the 12-year-old male giraffe who sired Theo, died last month of complications after surgery on his hooves. Theo’s mother is 8-year-old Cece.
Theo is the 17th giraffe born at the zoo, officials said.
Giraffe populations in the wild are being harmed by habitat loss, trophy hunting and illegal poaching.
