Maryland Zoo Chimpanzee is Ready to Receive Her Name

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: October 20, 2020 12:10 pm

The chimpanzee infant which is being raised at the Maryland Zoo

Photo Credit: The Maryland Zoo

Recently we introduced you to a chimpanzee infant at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore who is being introduced to a surrogate mother after her mother was unable to care for her. Now the Maryland Zoo is asking for help to pick a name for the new arrival.

After arriving in August keepers are currently caring for the infant until she hits a range of milestones which will signal she is ready to meet her surrogate mother. These milestones include standing on her own, clinging to the habitat mesh, and crawling.

Staff at the chimpanzee forest area are currently working in three shifts to provide constant care for the infant. Keepers bottle feed her every three hours and she enjoys playtime each day to strengthen her muscles. They also wear a special shirt with fringes to help her learn how to grip.

The chimpanzee infant which is being raised at the Maryland Zoo

Photo Credit: The Maryland Zoo

Her carers have selected five names which they think would be perfect for the chimpanzee infant and now they are asking the public to vote and help them to determine a suitable name.

The five names are:

– Asha — An Indian name with multiple meanings. It means ‘hope’ in Sanskrit, ‘alive’ in Swahili and ‘happy’ in Hebrew. You can also connect this name to the ash tree, a tree of high, spiritual importance to the Norse and Celtic people.

– Nyota (pronounced Nee-oh-tah) – Swahili for star.

– Maisie — girl’s name of Scottish origin meaning “pearl”.

– Tulia — Swahili for calm and quiet.

– Olivia — Means olive, which also stands for peace.

Cast your vote for the name here – Maryland Zoo Chimp Name Vote

The chimpanzee infant which is being raised at the Maryland Zoo

Photo Credit: The Maryland Zoo

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This new arrival brings the chimpanzee troop housed at the Maryland Zoo up to 15 members. Once she is integrated with the troop the infant will have two playmates. These are one-year-old Lola and ten-month-old Violet.

Chimpanzees are endangered in the wild. They face a range of threats including habitat loss and poaching for the pet and bush meat trades.