SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. Oct. 1, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The newest resident at Utah’s Hogle Zoo now has a name.
Donor Erin Pinson selected “Reyna” as the name for the female giraffe calf born Sept. 24, zoo officials announced.
“Reyna is a name that means queen. Our donor felt it was perfect because Reyna is already stately, bold, inquisitive, and carries on her father’s legacy,” according to a post on the zoo’s Facebook Page.
Reyna is the first calf for Stephanie, the zoo’s 4-year-old reticulated giraffe, and the final offspring of Riley, a male giraffe and 17-year zoo resident who died in December 2021.
Reyna is the seventh calf fathered by Riley for Utah’s Hogle Zoo and other accredited zoos in the U.S., zoo officials said.
“Come take a peek at Reyna outside past the train station while you can,” the post continues. “She has access to the inside and outside, and has been exploring both in her first week of life.”
Zoo officials say Stephanie’s labor took nearly 3 1/2 hours, with the mother standing and calf falling about 6 feet to a prepared surface. Reyna was 6 feet tall and 144 pounds at her birth.
Reyna joins the zoo’s herd of reticulated giraffes that includes mother Stephanie; Minka, a 5-year-old female; and Ja Raffe, a nearly 2-year-old male.
