Zoo Miami welcomed the birth of its 52nd giraffe on Mar. 28. The adorable baby giraffe is the third calf for both mom Sabra and dad Titan. Although he was coming up on his six-week birthday, he still was without an official name.
Main Street Children’s Dentistry and Orthdontics is a long-time sponsor of Zoo Miami, so it seemed fitting that it would enhance its support through an animal naming opportunity for the newest member of the giraffe herd.
“The zoo has been a wonderful fit for our brand and our patients,” said Eduardo Laventman, director of Main Street Southeast Florida Region. “Naming this baby giraffe is both an honor and a way to support the Zoo Miami.”
Main Street has had “Smile Spots” at the park for several years. They are animal themed face-in-hole signs that make the perfect place to stop for a photo.
When deliberating over possible naming options, Zoom Miami wanted to allign this naming opportunity with its current initiatives. After careful consideration, it was decided the baby giraffe will be named Tabasamu, which means smile in Swahili. He will have a nickname of Taba.
“Zoo Miami Foundation is excited to partner with Main Street Dental again in support of our animals,” said William “Bill” Moore, Zoo Miami Foundation president and CEO. “The newest member of our giraffe herd will bring smiles to many of Zoo Miami’s visitors faces.
The chosen name. Tabasamu. is a perfect fit for our young male.”
Visitors can see Taba now with the rest of the herd at the giraffe exhibit. Giraffe babies usually weigh more than 100 pounds at birth and stand nearly six feet tall. The status of giraffe in the wild has recently been elevated from a “species of least concern” to “vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to significant reductions in their populations over the last several years.
Main Street is a network of children’s dentistry and orthodontic practices with 24 locations throughout Florida.
