Public picks name for Lincoln Park Zoo’s first baby of spring

More than 3,000 people voted and Lincoln Park Zoo’s first arrival of spring has her name — Asha.

The public can vote online atlpzoo.org/namethebaby and choose one of five Swahili names for the female calf — Nadra (special), Zuri (pretty), Amira (princess), Asha (hope) or Bahiya (beautiful.)

The name — which means “hope” in Swahili — beat out four others for the female klipspringer calf with 32 percent of votes, the zoo announced Thursday.

The calf remains behind-the-scenes, where she is being hand-reared by keepers and receiving four bottles a day, according to the zoo. She has nearly tripled in weight since birth, now weighing in at 6.6 pounds.

Klipspringers — Afrikaans for “rock jumper” — are small antelope native to central and eastern Africa which grow to just 20 inches in height, according to the zoo.