Thousands of people voted to name the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s newest Masai giraffe calf, but one name stood out.
Jasper is now the newest member of the Columbus zoo family. The zoo announced the winning name just ahead of World Giraffe Day.
“Jasper received over 7,000 votes to make it the winning selection, and we think it fits him perfectly!” the zoo said in a social media post.
The zoo announced June 1 that fans could help name the 3-month-old male Masai giraffe, who was born to 15-year-old Zuri on March 10 in the Heart of Africa region. Voters chose from four options: BJ St. Pierre (Bobbie Jr.), Jasper, Patches and Tim.
Jasper is the first calf for 6-year-old father Bobbie. Zuri previously gave birth to Charlie in 2022 and Ralph in 2020. The zoo has celebrated the births of 23 surviving giraffe calves over the years.
The Masai giraffe is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Only about 43,000 remain in the wild, with populations dropping by nearly half in the last 30 years.
The Columbus Zoo says it has raised more than $400,000 for giraffe conservation projects since 2009.
