【2002 Archives】

It's the moment we've all been waiting for (those who aren't sick of April the giraffe news002 Archives that is). April's baby boy, born April 15, finally has a new name.

And it is... Tajiri.

The most famous baby giraffe received his name Monday on "Good Morning America" by Jordan Patch, the owner of Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York.

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April is beaming with pride as she is fed carrots by Patch for a job well done.

Once the little one (excuse me, big one - he's over six feet tall) was born, the zoo held a contest to name the giraffe calf, requesting a $1 donation per vote. All money raised from the naming contest will be split among giraffe conservation efforts and giraffe care at the adventure park, according to Patch.

The winning name was “Allysa’s choice,” referring to Allysa Swilley, the giraffe keeper at Animal Adventure Park. According to Yahoo, Swilley led the care of April for the 16 months of her pregnancy. With the help of other park officials, she chose the name Tajiri.

“Tajiri is a word in Swahili that means hope,” Patch said. “The name also stands for confidence, which our calf is -- very, very confident.”

Patch added, “They picked that name because they hope that we can continue forward this message of conservation for sustainability and preservation of giraffes in the wild and also our efforts in captivity,” And don't worry, if you have trouble remembering or pronouncing Tajiri's name, Patch explained that the calf will be nicknamed “Taj.”

Taj is 15-year-old April's fourth calf, and according to Patch, he's "doing great."

Congratulations again to April, and welcome to the world, baby Tajiri. You're already very loved.

[H/T: Yahoo]