‘It’s a Girl’: Rare Giraffe Born Without Any Spots at Tennessee Zoo

Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee, welcomed a one-of-a-kind baby giraffe born without any spots on July 31.

The baby giraffe stands at six feet tall and is thriving under the care of its mother.

“The international coverage of our patternless baby giraffe has created a much-needed spotlight on giraffe conservation,” Tony Bright, the founder of Brights Zoo, told WCYB 5. “Wild populations are silently slipping into extinction, with 40% of the wild giraffe population lost in just the last 3 decades.”

The zoo is still deciding on a name for the giraffe, and it has narrowed down the list to four possible names based on words from the Swahili language: Kipekee, meaning unique; Firyali, meaning unusual or extraordinary; Shakiri, translating to she is most beautiful; and Jamella, which translates to one of great beauty. Anyone can vote for their favorite name on the zoo’s Facebook page beginning August 22.

The family-owned zoo has seven adult giraffes and now two babies in its care, a staff member told Breitbart News.

Herald and Tribune reported:

Bright’s Zoo is actively joining the fight to save giraffes by not only donating to worthy organizations like Save Giraffes Now, working in Africa to preserve these gentle giants, but also contributing to the genetic diversity and survival of the species through their own very successful breeding program in Tennessee.

According to World Animal Foundation, there are nine different subspecies of giraffes, and many face various levels of extinction threat:

If not all nine of the subspecies are on the endangered species list, there are others that are near threatened, endangered, and vulnerable. They are not yet critically endangered but are still vulnerable and at high risk of extinction in their natural habitat.

In 2018, Breitbart News reported that a Kentucky woman shot and killed a rare black giraffe during a big game hunt in South Africa.