COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A new baby giraffe at a South Carolina zoo has been named in honor of a girl who died from cancer.
Local outlets report that the female calf born last month at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia has been named Amelia.
The zoo held a naming contest, with proceeds going to benefit giraffe conservation. The winning $5,000 bid came from a group led by the parents of Amelia Attaway, an 8-year-old girl who died in 2014 from brain cancer.
The zoo says Amelia began exploring the giraffe yard for the first time Monday morning. She’ll be on exhibit for brief periods for the first several days while she becomes accustomed to the outdoor habitat.
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