Baby giraffe explores habitat for first time with mother Chrystal and oldest male giraffe, Auggie./Dallas Zoo

After five days of online voting that drew more than 10,000 votes, the public has spoken: the Dallas Zoo’s new baby giraffe will be named “Kopano,” meaning “united” in Botswana.

Voters also could name a school to receive a special visit by our Animal Adventures team. However, in appreciation of the overwhelming response, we’ve decided to choose four schools to receive visits. Those schools, chosen randomly from among the names suggested, will be announced later this week.

The calf was gently introduced to the outdoor feeding yard habitat over the weekend. But starting Monday, he will make regular afternoon appearances outdoors, weather permitting. The giraffe keepers will keep a close eye on temperature, wind and rain to ensure that he remains safe and healthy.

One-week-old Kopano./Dallas Zoo

“It’s a great feeling to see how involved the public has been in the two weeks since this giraffe calf arrived,” said Gregg Hudson, Dallas Zoo’s chief executive officer and president. “The community’s connection to Kopano is critical to our mission of teaching about the importance of these endangered animals in the wild.”

The Dallas Zoo 12-member giraffe herd is now one of the largest in the nation, with six males and six females. Their ages range from the newborn to the oldest, Auggie, who is 12. They recently received national coverage in a web series by Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. Camera crews followed the herd around the habitat for several days, showing viewers why these gentle giants are so remarkable.

WATCH this adorable video of Kopano testing out his new legs in the feeding yard for the first time. We may have to nickname him “Clumsy!”