Standing at nearly seven-feet tall, the Toronto Zoo’s not-so-little new arrival now has a name thanks to thousands of votes cast by the public over three weeks between March 10 and 23.

Born on February 26 at six feet four inches, the female calf birthed by mother Mstari was given the affectionate moniker “Baby Long Neck” while the community weighed in on five Swahili names suggested by the Kenyan Honourary Consulate in Toronto.

The choices were:

• Binti: “Daughter”
• Imara: “Strong, firm, resilient”
• Nyota: “Star”
• Neema: “Grace”
• Sanaa: “Beauty/art”

With 23,000 votes, the clear winner was Imara.

“There’s something deeply hopeful about what our community has chosen to name this calf,” said Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong. “She stands for a symbol of strength, optimism and resilience not only for her endangered species but in a world eager to be reminded that hope still thrives.”

The Toronto Zoo said the naming contest for the long-legged ungulate garnered the highest engagement they’ve ever seen for a such a poll and they called it “a reflection of the love and support our community feels for the animals in our care at the Toronto Zoo.”

Imara made her public debut on March 13 and the Zoo says the lineups to see her stretched through their Africa Savanna over March break.

“We are grateful to our guests who continue to respect this new addition by containing their joy and excitement and remaining calm and quiet in the giraffe house. This has been so helpful as she experiences crowds for the first time,” the Zoo said in a statement. “Imara continues to bond with Mom, Mstari, nursing and getting the occasional case of the zoomies as she bounds around the habitat with her gangly long legs.”