Kamili was born at Perth Zoo on March 7.
Camera IconKamili was born at Perth Zoo on March 7. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Perth Zoo names four-week-old giraffe calf

Bronwyn DonovanSouthern Gazette

AFTER receiving hundreds of entries submitted by the public, Perth Zoo has named its four-week-old female giraffe calf Kamili.

The birth of Kamili, which means ‘perfection’ in Swahili, is the result of successful matchmaking between Perth Zoo’s breeding bull, Armani and female Kitoto, who was brought to Perth from Sydney’s Taronga Zoo in 2016 to help expand the genetics within the regional zoological breeding program.

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With wild giraffe having had a 40 per cent decline in population over the last 30 years, Environment Minister Stephen Dawson said it was fantastic to see so many people continually engaged at the zoo and learning about wildlife conservation.

“The birth of Kamili is the culmination of a lot of hard work by Perth Zoo staff and collaboration with other regional zoos,” he said.

Giraffe Kitoto with her 20-day-old calf.
Camera IconGiraffe Kitoto with her 20-day-old calf. Credit: Supplied/Alex Asbury

“With less than 80,000 wild giraffe roaming the Africa Plains, the ultimate aim was for successful breeding to help fight extinction.

“The hard work has paid off and the calf has already been extremely popular with more than 13,600 people (visiting) the zoo over the Easter long weekend,” he said.

When older, Kamili will too play a vital role in the breading program that saw her birth a success.

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