The vote is in, and the Smithsonian National Zoo’s new baby Asian elephant has a name.
After 10 days of voting that raised nearly $60,000 for the zoo’s elephant care program, fans chose the name Linh Mai, which is Vietnamese for “spirit blossom.”
Linh means “spirit” or “soul,” and Mai refers to the apricot blossom, a flower associated with the Lunar New Year, which begins Feb. 17 this year.
The name was one of four offered for a public online vote from Feb. 3 to Feb. 12. Fans were invited to vote for their favorite name by making a donation of $5 of more, with $1 representing one vote.
Here’s a breakdown of the results:
- Linh Mai (spirit blossom) — $22,885 (39%)
- Tú Ahn (talented, gifted, bright and intelligent) — $20,627 (35%)
- Tuyết (snow) — $8,153.70 (14%)
- Thảo Nhi (gentle and beloved) — $7,227 (12%)
Linh Mai is the first Asian elephant born at the D.C. zoo in nearly 25 years.
“Her birth is a significant conservation success for the Zoo and this endangered species, as fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants are left in the world,” the zoo said in a news release announcing the name.
The 11-day-old calf will make her public debut and her first appearance on the zoo’s Elephant Cam in the spring.
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