Winning name for baby giraffe announced

Auckland Zoo's three-week-old female giraffe finally has a name - Ntombi, meaning "girl" or "lady" in Zulu.

The zoo held a public competition to name the leggy newcomer and received close to one thousand entries, coming from all over New Zealand and from all ages – including primary school classes, newborn children and rest home residents.

The amount and range of names submitted made the choice a difficult one for zookeepers. "We wanted a name of cultural significance to symbolise her heritage. The name Ntombi stood out for a number of reasons, it is of Zulu origin, which is a native African language and it means 'girl' or 'lady' – something we are very pleased she is," says Auckland Zoo Pridelands team leader, Michael Batty.

Ntombi was a popular choice, with a number of people submitting the name, from which the zoo drew six-year-old Jade Lusty from Papakura, Auckland, as the official winner. Jade loves giraffes and is very excited about going behind the scenes at the zoo to meet Ntombi, her prize for winning the competition.

The birth of a female calf is significant to the Australasian region, as she provides valuable genetic stock for future breeding and is the first female giraffe born at Auckland Zoo in 15 years. Ntombi will stay with mum Kay at Auckland Zoo until she is about one year old, after which she will move to another zoo within the Australasian region to strengthen the genetic pool for breeding.

Mum Kay and Ntombi are being given access to the giraffe paddock most mornings (weather dependant) and will be gradually integrated with the other animals in Pridelands.