More than 2,600 ballots were cast to name the Woodland Park Zoo’s eight meerkats, which moved into their new exhibit on May 1. The zoo announced the names late this afternoon.
The top vote getters and new names for the four female and four male meerkats, in order of greatest number of votes received, are: ZIMBA (Zambian town), NATA (southern African river), MOLOPO (southern African river), KIWANO (Kalahari fruit), KALAHARI (African desert), DINAWA (“beans” in Tswana), ACACIA (African tree), and NGAMI (lake in Botswana).
One lucky winner—Corey Rois of Edmonds—was selected at random from all eligible contest entrants to win the grand prize 3-day, 2-night trip for four to San Diego including airfare, hotel accommodations at the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley, and tickets to local attractions including San Diego Zoo and Sea World. Two runners-up will be randomly drawn and contacted by the zoo to receive each a $75 Woodland Park Zoo gift card and a ZooParent meerkat adoption.
The meerkats munch on watermelon today as part of the zoo’s “Red, White and Zoo” enrichment program, which continues on Friday. Photo by Dennis Dow.
