Got a name for the baby elephant at the Portland zoo? (Jack Bog's Blog)

If so, you may have to keep it to yourself. An alert reader sends along this update:

If you have got a clever or appropriate name for the Oregon Zoo's new baby elephant, too bad. Shortly after the calf was born, Portland media suggested that the public would be invited to submit names for him. Keepers, we were told, would then narrow the list down (adding whatever other names they had come up with) and the five final names would go on an online ballot for the public to vote.
Having submitted names for all baby elephants since Packy was born, we wanted to continue the tradition and forwarded our suggestion (Rosario - for Rose-Tu and father Tusko). We got the following response from the Zoo:

"Thanks for your suggestion, however our keepers will be suggesting names to be placed on an online ballot. We encourage you to participate by casting your vote."

When I wrote, asking why the process had changed and why local news had described the process differently, I got the following response:

"The media doesn't always get thing right, but they try. The keepers will suggest names for the ballot which reflect the elephant's range in Asia. Most names will be Vietnamese, Thai, Hindi, etc. We do have animals in our Amazon Flooded Forest exhibit which have Spanish or Portuguese names."

There go my chances. I thought the little fella should be called "Interstate Avenue."

Comments (8)

Or how about "Cesar Chavez Way"? You can't bet any more PC than that.

Posted by Musician | September 4, 2008 7:51 PM

George?

Posted by Ben | September 4, 2008 9:52 PM

Trammy!

Posted by edison | September 5, 2008 1:41 AM

Citizen Chris Smith

Posted by meg | September 5, 2008 6:36 AM

Go check out the ballot with name choices for the new baby online:
http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_090508_news_zoo_elephant_name.49602245.html

A couple are cute, the comment following one (Duc) is just dumb, suggesting that it would incidentally honor Kevin Duckworth who has nothing to do with elephants or the zoo. Another, Hugo-Tu is a cobbled together name from the calf's grandfather and mother that isn't much different from Rosario and not offers only a nod to Vietnam. I've heard the name Bao used, but only in the plural (Bao Bao). Beaver fans are going to object to Duc.

Guess the handlers know best and the public can go fish. It would not have hurt anything to offer schoolchildren and the public at least the illusion of creative participation even if their suggestions were not among the five final names presented for balloting.

Posted by NW Portlander | September 5, 2008 6:49 PM

Late, but maybe????

Gadjah= elephant in the Indonesian language

Posted by louise | September 6, 2008 9:13 AM

Trig

Posted by MJ | September 7, 2008 9:20 PM

I think that the baby elephant born in Portland should be named Elmer. A good name that might "stick" don't you think?

Posted by Jill Wenninger | September 10, 2008 6:20 PM

Search this site

About

Clippings

Archives

Links

E-mail, Feeds, 'n' Stuff

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Got a name for the baby elephant at the Portland zoo?

Comments (8)

Sponsors

In Vino Veritas

The Occasional Book

Road Work