GUWAHATI Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has triggered a game of suggesting names for a giraffe born in the Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden, also known as the Guwahati Zoo.
Taking to X on Sunday, he announced the birth of a female calf born to Vijay, a male giraffe brought from Mysore in 2019, and Vijaya the female from Patna in 2022. The giraffes were brought under an animal exchange programme.
“Happy to share that the Assam State Zoo has been blessed with a cute baby Giraffe just three days ago. Any suggestions for naming the newborn?” Dr Sarma wrote, sharing two photos of the calf. He did not mention the calf’s gender.
The netizens flooded his handle with names to choose from.
Bapukon, if it is a male. Maloti, if it is a female,” a user suggested while another said Apoorva, meaning rare in Sanskrit would be apt since giraffes are rare in India.
Yet another user suggested that the calf be named after the Chief Minister as “you are cute too, sir”.
A fourth suggested that the calf be named after the player of the match of Sunday’s cricket World Cup final.
Zoo’s Divisional Forest Officer Ashwini Kumar said the birth of the calf was special since a giraffe had been born in Assam for the first time. “The baby is healthy and so is the mother,” he said.
