You Choose Her Name

We need your help to name a very special new member of the chimpanzee troop!

The little one was born in August at the Oklahoma City Zoo and is being hand-raised at the Maryland Zoo with the intention to introduce her to a surrogate mom, chimp Abby, when she has achieved age-appropriate milestones such as being able to stand on her own, cling to the habitat mesh, and crawl.

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The Names

The Chimpanzee Forest animal care team came up with the names that they feel embody this very special chimpanzee baby. The names up for vote are:

  • Asha: An Indian name with multiple meanings. It means ‘hope’ in Sanskrit and ‘alive’ in Swahili. You can also connect this name to the ash tree, a tree of high, spiritual importance to the Norse and Celtic people.
  • Olivia: It means ‘olive’ which also stands for ‘peace’
  • Tulia: Swahili for ‘calm’ and ‘quiet’
  • Maisie: Means ‘pearl’
  • Nyota: (pronounced Nee-oh-tah) Swahili for ‘star’

Vote

Voting has now closed. Thank you for your support!


Support Her Care

Hand-raising a newborn chimpanzee baby takes a tremendous amount of resources, including time and money for supplies like formula and bottles. Your contribution supports our mission and the newborn’s constant 24-hour care.

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