Toronto Zoo’s New Baby Rhino Receives Official Name
In an exciting development, the Toronto Zoo has announced that their newest resident, a baby white rhino born last year, finally has a name. The calf, who was born in late December, has been officially christened Kifaru. Nobody has any idea what that means, but apparently it’s a Swahili word for “rhino.” That’s great, I guess? It’s not like the zoo could have chosen a more interesting or memorable moniker for the cute little guy.
According to the zoo’s press release, Kifaru is doing well and is already starting to develop a personality. He’s been spotted running around and playing with his mom, who is apparently a great parent. That’s all good news, but let’s be real: we’re all here for the name reveal. And honestly, Kifaru is pretty underwhelming.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I understand that choosing a name for a baby animal isn’t easy. It’s a big responsibility! But come on, Toronto Zoo, we expected more from you. The best you could do was “rhino” in another language? That’s like naming a dog “Doggo” or a cat “Meowy.” Sure, it gets the point across, but it’s hardly creative.
I can only imagine the brainstorming session that led to this choice. “What should we name him?” someone probably asked. And then there was silence, interrupted only by the gentle snuffling of the rhinos. “Uh, how about… Kifaru?” someone else piped up. “It means ‘rhino’ in Swahili.” And then, in a desperate bid to wrap up the meeting and go home, everyone just shrugged and said, “Sure, why not?”
Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but the Toronto Zoo is a beloved institution with a huge following. They could have leveraged this opportunity to really engage with their community and come up with a creative, memorable name for the baby rhino. They could have held a naming contest, or taken suggestions from visitors, or even enlisted the help of a famous Canadian (I hear Drake loves rhinos).
But instead, they went with Kifaru. And now we’re all stuck with it. I’m not saying we should boycott the zoo over this (although I’m sure some people will). I’m just saying that they missed an opportunity to really connect with their audience and create something special. Oh well. Here’s hoping Kifaru grows up to be an incredible, world-renowned rhino despite his underwhelming name.
