Reid Park Zoo's baby elephant was born on April 6.

The zoo asked and Tucson answered. 

Everyone, meet Mapenzi — Reid Park Zoo’s baby elephant. 

Last week, the zoo and the Arizona Daily Star ran a poll to help name the elephant calf who was born earlier this month. The zoo’s elephant care team came up with three names, all derived from Swahili. 

More than 17,000 votes were tallied in the poll. 

Reid Park Zoo's baby elephant was born on April 6.

Mapenzi, which means beloved, took the gold with more than 7,600 votes. Amani, which means peace, trailed close behind with almost 7,100 votes.

Zawadi, which means gift, came in third.

The calf joins mom Semba, dad Mabu, sister Nandi, brother Sundzu, and Lungile, who zoo staff say is like an aunt to the younger elephants. All of their names also have ties to their native land, so the zoo wanted to continue the tradition with Mapenzi.

“All the names are really meaningful to us,” elephant supervisor Cassie Dodds said Monday. “And it’s meaningful for the community to help name her.”

“Mapenzi is just the perfect name for this little girl calf as she is beloved by all of her fans and the elephant herd alike,” director of zoological operations Sue Tygielski said.

Most of the elephant team was at the zoo when Semba went into labor on April 6.

“It was pretty amazing that we all got to be here and be part of that experience,” Dodds says, adding that it was a smooth birth. 

Within seconds, Mapenzi — who weighed 295 pounds at birth and now weighs 315 pounds — was trying to stand up. She nursed in the first 30 minutes. 

Although Mapenzi is less than three weeks old, she’s showing lots of personality.

“She’s doing everything that a healthy baby elephant should be doing right now and she has tons of playful energy and she’s very adventurous,” Dodds says. 

Mapenzi also follows big sister Nandi around a lot. Nandi, 5, was the first elephant to be born in Arizona.

Although the zoo is currently closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, Tucsonans can keep up with the elephant herd and all other animals at reidparkzoo.org or facebook.com/ReidParkZoo.


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Contact reporter Gloria Knott at gknott@tucson.com or 573-4235. On Twitter: @gloriaeknott