VOTE...for the Baby Gorilla's Name ~ This Saturday & Sunday!

Media Advisory
November 7, 2017
Contact: Matt Reinartz
matt.reinartz@stpaul.gov
651.487.8294 (o)
651.248.9836 (c)

 Go Great Apes Weekend ~ This Saturday & Sunday!

With Election Day upon us, there is no better time to announce that visitors to this weekends "Go Great Apes" event will have the opportunity to vote on Como Zoo’s newest addition. The baby female gorilla was born on October 18th and this Saturday and Sunday, between 10am - 4pm, the public can cast their vote for the name of the almost three week-old baby.

Como Zoo has selected the following three names for the baby of mother Alice, and father Schroeder: Nyati (pronounced Nie-ot-e), Lucy & Rocky.

Ballot Boxes will be set up all weekend for the young and young-at-heart to cast their vote for their favorite of the three. The winning name will be revealed the afternoon of Monday, November 13.

Along the opportunity to name the baby gorilla, visitors to Como’s “Go Great Apes” conservation awareness weekend will enjoy family fun activities, games, orangutan zoo keeper talks, banana gardener talks, crafts, and a special story time, all while learning how to make a difference for great apes in the wild. With the chilly weather on the way, our friends at Xcel Energy will also be on hand to show visitors how to lower their energy bills.

On Sunday at 12:00pm there will be a free and open-to-all special program in our Auditorium featuring Zookeeper Megan Elder, a particularly influential figure in the world of orangutan conservation. Megan is the Vice Chair of the Orangutan Species Survival Plan (SSP) management program for North American zoos accredited through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). She is also the International Orangutan Studbook Keeper for the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA). Megan will discuss breeding in zoos along with her field work in Borneo.

Daily at 11:30am and 2:00pm the gorillas will participate in a special enrichment activity. Enrichment activities enhance zoo environments for animals, stimulating them to investigate and interact with their surroundings. Como Zoo enriches animal environments by making changes to structures in their enclosures, presenting novel objects and smells for them to investigate and explore, and by changing how we present food to them. It encourages them to forage, hunt and handle their food in ways that are natural to them in the wild.

Recycle your cell and small handheld electronic device! Como has set up a permanent collection point to collect and recycle unwanted cell phones and handheld electronic devices. All items collected will be sent to Eco-Cell and Como will received funds for each donated item. The funds raised will go to orangutan conservation projects that help preserve one of the most critically endangered species on earth, the orangutan. Como now also accepts

• cell phone accessories

• iPods and MP3 players

• handheld game systems

• handheld gps units

• laptops

• e-readers

• portable hard drives

• Ink Jet Cartridges

Como Zoo is currently home to five orangutans and nine gorillas. Sponsorship of Como’s Great Apes is available through Como Friends and makes a great gift! Also, anyone who mentions “Great Ape” to the Sales Associate at the register in Garden Safari Gifts will receive a 10% discount off of any primate merchandise in the store. Plush, books, magnets, greeting & post cards, apparel, figurines, jewelry, key rings, lip balm, drinkware, toys…& more.

***Please Note: The zoo’s animal care staff is giving Alice her time and space to bond with her baby. Zookeepers are pleased with the nursing and bonding they observe daily between Alice and her baby. The entire family troop is adapting well to the addition of the new baby. The baby, Alice, Schroeder, and the rest of Schroeder’s troop are currently off exhibit. Como’s bachelor troop, Jabir, Samson, and Virgil (all 18 years-old), are on exhibit daily.

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