Vote on the Name of the New Baby Orangutan at the El Paso Zoo

The El Paso Zoo is inviting all moms and families to celebrate the latest addition of the new baby orangutan and help vote for her name on Mother’s Day.

The El Paso Zoo will be having a baby shower for orangutan mom Ibu and dad Butch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 10, 2015. The shower will include games, interactive booths, special animal enrichment, and more. Butch will be on exhibit during the shower however, Ibu and their baby, born at the zoo on April 23, will not be on exhibit to allow mom and baby more time to bond. Visitors will get to see exclusive photos of the pair on Sunday.

Members of the community will also be able to vote for their favorite name for Ibu and Butch’s baby at Sunday’s shower.

Ibu’s keepers have chosen four of their favorite names and are asking for the community’s help to narrow it down to the top two names.

The selected baby names are:

• Pohon: Indonesian, meaning tree
• Eko: Indonesian, meaning first born
• Moki: Ancient Southwest Pueblo, meaning step (as in a positive step for orangutan conservation)
• Khaleesi: Meaning queen (from the fictional Dorhraki language in the “Game of Thrones” series)

The lions, elephants, meerkats, sun bear and spider monkeys will also be voting on baby names during their enrichment activities at Sunday’s shower. Animal enrichment is provided to animals to provide mental and physical stimulation in their daily lives.

Community members who can’t come to the Zoo on Mother’s Day will be able to vote online at elpasozoo.org/babyshower starting on May 11. On Father’s Day, Butch will pick between the top two vote-getters. Ibu’s Baby Shower is being held in conjunction with the international M.O.M. (Missing Orangutan Mothers) event.

The birth of a Sumatran orangutan at the El Paso Zoo could be one of the most important conservation achievements in the history of the Zoo. The El Paso Zoo has focused on Sumatran orangutan conservation efforts with support from the El Paso Zoological Society Conservation Fund for more than 10 years. This includes supporting programs in Indonesia that rescue and relocate hundreds of injured, orphaned and displaced orangutans.