From: "Fuchs, Deborah" <debbie.fuchs@nczoo.

org>
Subject: North Carolina Zoo Announces Baby Chimp's Name
Date: April 30, 2019 at 1:54:48 PM EDT
To: "Fuchs, Deborah" <debbie.fuchs@nczoo.org>

                  
                                                             Patricia Simmons,
Director
 
Contact: 
Debbie Foster Fuchs
336-879-7204 
debbie.fuchs@nczoo.org
www.nczoo.org
 
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
North Carolina Zoo Announces Name of New Baby
Chimpanzee Chosen By the Public
 
Asheboro, N.C. – (April 30, 2019)   - The North Carolina
Zoo recently asked the public to help name its newest family
member -- a baby boy chimpanzee born Monday, March 18.
The winning name chosen was “Obi” through an online poll
on the Zoo’s website. Obi is a word of Nigerian origin
meaning “one who charms others; heart.”
 
His name was revealed Tuesday morning at the chimp’s
habitat. A banner with the winning name was printed on non-
toxic paper and hidden under several layers of browse –
branches and leaves – so the chimp troop could ‘unveil’ the
banner on the habitat.
 
However, in true sibling fashion, Obi’s older sister Genie
decided to tear apart the banner and run around the habitat
with the pieces. Luckily, the zookeepers captured an image
of it before the chimps were out on habitat that morning.
 
Susi Hamilton, secretary of the N.C. Dept. of Natural and
Cultural Resources, announced the naming contest during a
special event at the Zoo Friday, April 12 as she officially
opened the Zoo’s 2019 spring season.
 
This birth is significant because there have only been two
other successful chimp births at Association of Zoos and
Aquariums (AZA)-accredited zoos in the past two years. The
Zoo’s chimpanzee troop is one of the larger troops in AZA
zoos in the United States.
 
The selection of other names to vote on were: 
Ayo (eye-oh): word of the Yoruba people for “full of joy or happiness”
Kojo: word from Ghana meaning “born on Monday”
Masaka: large town in Uganda

Chimpanzees are listed as endangered in the wild. The

North Carolina Zoo is actively involved in wild chimpanzee
conservation in Uganda’s Kibale National Park, which boasts
the largest chimpanzee population in East Africa.
 
###
 
About the North Carolina Zoo
At the North Carolina Zoo, we celebrate nature. As the world’s largest
natural habitat Zoo, we inspire a lifelong curiosity about animals for the
hundreds of thousands of people who visit our Zoo each year. Our
dedicated team of experts provides exceptional, compassionate care for
the more than 1,600 animals and 52,000 plants that call our Park home.
We also lead efforts locally and globally to protect wildlife and wild places
because we believe nature’s diversity is critical for our collective future.
The North Carolina Zoo invites all of our guests to witness the majesty of
the wild in the heart of North Carolina and welcomes everyone to join in
our mission to protect nature’s diversity. Visit NCZoo.org to begin your
life-changing journey.
 
About the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is
the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural
and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and
economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the
quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience
excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by
stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history,
conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and
cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
 
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art
museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier,
39 state parks and recreation areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the nation's
first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State
Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office
of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water
Stewardship. For more information, please call 919- 807-7300 or visit
www.ncdcr.gov.
 
Photo credits – North Carolina Zoo. Photos free to share
for print, broadcast and online.
 
BabyChimp-Gerre_NCZoo:
Mom Chimp Gerre and baby chimp Obi enjoy some playtime
 
BabyChimp_GenieSteals:
Big sister Genie (Gerre’s daughter) steals new baby brother’s
Obi’s name reveal banner and makes a run for it
 
ObiBanner
Zookeepers place the banner in the habitat before Chimps come
back out on the habitat
 
 
Debbie Foster Fuchs
Public Relations Officer
North Carolina Zoo
336.879.7204 - office
debbie.fuchs@nczoo.org
www.nczoo.org

4401 Zoo Parkway | Asheboro, NC 27205

Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the

North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.
__________________________________________________________
 
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