DUBLIN ZOO HAS announced the results of a competition to name two of its latest arrivals – the Rothschild giraffe calf born in November and the rhino calf born in December of last year.

The giraffe calf has been named Arria meaning ‘lean and slender one’ in Swahili. The two-metre female calf is doing well, and “likes running across the African Savanna and kicking her heels out,” said team leader of the African Plains, Helen Clarke-Bennet.

Meanwhile, the new male southern white rhino calf has been named Zuberi, Swahili for strong one. Bennet said that Zuberi is showing all the signs of a happy, healthy young rhino: “Zuberi is becoming more inquisitive and is growing bigger by the day,” she said, “He now likes to spar with the keepers, which is a great sign of his development.”

Members of the public were invited to suggest names for the two news arrivals by the Zoo last year. Claudia Budea of Hartstown, Dublin 15 suggested the chosen name Zuberi for the rhino calf, while Deirdre O’Dowd from Dublin 10 and Laura Duggan from Rush, Co. Dublin both suggested the winning name Arria.