San Francisco Zoo's baby gorilla gets a name: Hasani
The San Francisco Zoo has announced that its baby Western lowland gorilla is nameless no more. The little guy, who was born in December, was the subject of a baby-naming contest held by the zoo.
After three weeks, 5,300 entries and an endearing but bizzare ritual involving cantaloupe, he has a name: Hasani. (It means "handsome" in Swahili.)
The zoo encouraged entrants to choose names of African origin, although some strayed from that idea and suggested names including Gavin (after San Francisco mayor Newsom) and Sully. A panel of judges narrowed the field to five but devised a method for the baby's father, a 27-year-old gorilla named Oscar Jonesy, to choose the winning name.
They set five melons, color-coded to represent the five name finalists, on Jonesy's favorite rock in the zoo's gorilla enclosure. After apparently deliberating for a few moments, Jonesy picked the green melon, "choosing" its corresponding name.
The name Hasani was submitted by Amanda VerPloeg of Oskaloosa, Iowa.
More photos of Hasani -- and Jonesy contemplating the canteloupes -- after the jump.
-- Lindsay Barnett
Top photo: George Nikitin / Associated Press; Others: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
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Posted by: maryann mazzola | March 12, 2009 at 06:45 PM
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Posted by: maryann mazzola | May 04, 2009 at 08:43 AM
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Posted by: Maria | February 08, 2010 at 11:09 AM