Baby giraffe needs a name: Phoenix Zoo opens voting until Dec. 22

Last month, Phoenix’s giraffe community grew by one calf, as 12-year-old Sunshine of the Phoenix Zoo gave birth to a baby female.

The zoo is now deciding between several possible names for the calf and has opened up voting to the public until Monday, Dec. 22. The winning name will be announced the following day.

The calf and her parents are Masai giraffes — one of nine subspecies that are found across Africa. Masai giraffes’ native home is the vast Serengeti in Tanzania, as well as parts of Kenya and Uganda. They’re known as the tallest giraffe subspecies, growing up to 18 feet tall.

The not-so-little girl is the fifth calf that the 12-year-old Sunshine has given birth to at the Phoenix Zoo. This time, she was paired with a 16-year-old male named Miguu as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Special Survival Program. It’s unclear how large the baby is, but when newborn giraffes are born they are typically about 5 or 6 feet tall and weigh between 140 and 200 pounds.

The zoo said the baby giraffe will remain in their facilities’ giraffe barn away from the public eye until she can be introduced to the rest of the herd.

“Sunshine and baby are still enjoying time bonding in the barn,” Linda Hardwick, a vice president of marketing and communications for the zoo, said in a written statement. “We hope they will be ready to make their way out onto the Savanna sometime in January. Stay tuned to the Zoo’s social media channels for updates!”

Below are the five names from which voters can choose. Keep in mind that this baby giraffe was born on Nov. 16, making her a Scorpio if you’re into that whole astrology thing.

• Cyra: a name with Persian and Greek roots that has a number of meanings, including sun, throne and ruler. Although the name is feminine, it is connected to ancient Persian ruler Cyrus the Great.
• Tesni: a Welsh word meaning “warmth of the sun,” which also appears to be a potential name inspired by the baby’s mother.
• Binti: a Swahili word (which comes from the homeland of Masai giraffes) that translates to “daughter”
• Kasi: another Swahili word meaning “speed,” which is a reference to the baby’s apparent habit of getting the zoomies
• Ray: The zoo said they were making reference to a ray of sunshine with this one

Votes can be cast on the zoo’s website, with one vote allowed per day.