You voted, and now St. Paul's Como Zoo will tally the results to name its new baby giraffe

The Como Park Zoo and Conservatory will announce the name of its new baby giraffe on Thursday after asking the public to help choose what to call her.

The 6-foot-tall baby, born Nov. 6, weighed in at 132 pounds and was standing by her mother, Zinnia, within an hour of her birth, according to the St. Paul zoo.

The baby came out into the public viewing area Monday for the first time, said Matt Reinartz, spokesman for the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory.

The zoo turned to the public for help naming the baby giraffe, with a poll offering three choices: Dahlia, Aster or Ivy. Zookeepers chose the three names in keeping with the flower and plant theme, since both Zinnia and Clover, another female giraffe at the zoo, fit that theme.

"We like to do naming contests just to engage the public," Reinartz said. "They can have a little bit of ownership in naming the baby animals here."

The zoo also recently lost Daisy, a female giraffe and longtime resident, and wanted to honor her with a botanical name.

Voting ended Monday. The winning name will be announced on Thursday, which is Give to the Max day.

This is the third calf for Zinnia, who is seven years old. Skeeter is the other member of the zoo's current herd.

Dozens of baby giraffes have been born at the zoo over the last decades, Reinartz said. They typically stay with their mother for a while. Later, they may be sent to another zoo as part of the Association of Zoo and Aquarium's Species Survival Plan, a detailed blueprint of breeding recommendations for species across all AZA-accredited zoos.

"It's all part of a bigger puzzle," Reinartz said.

Young giraffes double in height in the first two years of life, often standing over 12 feet tall. Gestation lasts between 14 and 15 months, after which one baby is born.

The markings or spots of a giraffe's coat are unique to each animal, the zoo's website said.

Reticulated giraffes are native to the dry savannas and open woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa.