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Community Invited to Vote on Asian Elephant Calf Name
Monday, June 8, 2015
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo’s new Asian elephant calf is a male born on May 12 to parents Mali and Doc. He was introduced to the public on May 26 and can be seen at least twice a day at the zoo’s premier exhibit, Asian Elephant Preserve.
The public was invited to submit name suggestions for the young bull from May 26-30. The zoo received 1,396 responses from across the U.S. and Canada, and from as far away as Africa, Australia, Costa Rica and Germany.
In an effort to provide a name for the calf which reflects the native habitat of Asian elephants, a committee comprised of zoo staff carefully and thoughtfully selected a list of five choices from all entries received. Names were judged for creativity as well as overall appeal.
The finalists are:
Ajay -- “ah-JHEY”
Submitted by: Patricia Thompson, 60, of Central Square, N.Y.
Reason/Meaning: The name is of Hindi origin and means “invincible.”
Bae -- “BEH”
Submitted by: Caden LaBreck, age 5, of Syracuse, N.Y.
Reason/Meaning: The name is of Korean origin and means “inspiration.”
Batu -- “BAA-two”
Submitted by: Isabelle Perry, age 9, of Oswego, N.Y.
Reason/Meaning: The name is of Central Asian origin and means “like his father.” It can also mean “loyal.”
Jai -- “Jay” or “Jye”
Submitted by: Sandra Merrifield, age 18, of Baldwinsville, N.Y
Reason/Meaning: The name is of Indian origin and means “victory.”
Luk Chai - “Look-Chai”
Submitted by: Rosamond Gifford Zoo Elephant Staff
Reason/Meaning: The name is of Southeast Asian origin and means “my son.”
Online voting is now available via the contest page: rosamondgiffordzoo.org/naming-contest.
Votes will be taken from June 8-12; all votes must be received by 4 p.m. on June 12. The name that receives the highest number of votes will be selected for the elephant calf.
The winning name will be announced via a media alert and on the zoo’s website and social media platforms on June 16. The winner will receive an Asian elephant Adopt an Animal package courtesy of Friends of the Zoo.
