Busch Gardens Tampa Bay needs help naming newborn southern white rhino

The poll is now open and will close on Sept. 28.

A huge baby was born recently at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and the local theme park needs to give it a name.

This morning, Busch Gardens announced that southern white rhino mother, Kisiri, gave birth on Sept. 1 to an estimated 100-pound female calf, and it will soon join the park’s crash (or herd) at the park's 65-acre Serengeti Plain.

"Mother and calf were spending time behind the scenes where keepers kept a close eye to ensure nursing and bonding were taking place," says the park. "Since the pair is doing so well, they have recently been introduced onto the veldt where guests can see them on our Serengeti Safari Tour."

However, Busch Gardens needs help picking out a name, and has launched an online poll.

Unfortunately, we are not allowed to write-in names that would suit a rare, threatened animal capable of standing six feet tall and weighing up to 5,000 pounds –  you know, good rhino names, like "Linda Rhinostadt" or "Blumpus," or "Oh Lawd, She Comin."

No, we have to pick from the park's pre-determined rhino name list, which is based on the Swahili language. The polls options include "Azizi, which means 'precious treasure,' Zahara, meaning 'flower,' and Zina, which translates to 'secret' or 'beautiful,' said the park.

The poll is now open and will close on Sept. 28.

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Colin Wolf

Colin Wolf has been working with weekly newspapers since 2007 and has been the Digital Editor for Creative Loafing Tampa since 2019. He is also the Director of Digital Content Strategy for CL's parent company, Chava Communications.
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