The Woodland Park Zoo debuted the new meerkat exhibit a month ago, now the eight fuzzy creatures need names.
Photo courtesy Ryan Hawk.
The zoo has selected 16 names that reflect the meerkats’ native southern African habitat and now it is your turn to cast your vote for up to eight of your favorites from June 1 – June 15. The eight highest vote getters from the following choices will become the new names for our four male and four female meerkat mob members:
Kalahari (African desert)
KGALA (“great thirst” in Tswana)
ACACIA (African tree)
KIWANO (Kalahari fruit)
NOSSOB (southern African river)
BAOBOB (African plains tree)
ARANOS (Namibian town)
MOLOPO (southern African river)
GOCHAS (Namibian settlement)
GHANZI (town in Botswana)
ZIMBA (Zambian town)
ERONGO (Namibian mountain)
DINAWA (“beans” in Tswana)
NATA (southern African river)
KURUMAN (southern African river)
NGAMI (lake in Botswana)
To vote for names download the ballot here (.pdf) and drop it at any U.S. Bank location between now and June 15th or mail your ballot to 601 N. 59th Street, Seattle, WA 98103, Attn: Name the Meerkats. The ballot must be postmarked by June 15.
Several winners will be selected from a random drawing. The grand prize winner will get a trip for four to San Diego including airfare, lodging and tickets to local attractions. A complete list of rules can be found through this link. The eight most voted meerkat names and the prize winners will be announced on July 1 at the “Red, White & Zoo” Independence Day-themed event.
How bizarre… I haven’t seen a paper voting system for anything (other than governmental elections) in a long time. Why isn’t there a website where we can do this?
So…we cannot vote online anywhere? I don’t care enough to print out a ballot, fill it out, and deliver it to a bank that I don’t do business with.
Who do you think is paying for the prize?
Will not become an account holder at U.S. Bank anytime soon! What a waste of paper, time, stamp. Too bad, would have been fun to vote. You would think this bank would be functioning in the 21st century like other banks! Bad publicity for them, bad……….
The African names are good and all but I think the Snow White and the 7 dwarfs could have been a better choice. ;-)
I voted for “Bob”.
The point of this is to get you into a US Bank, why else do you think they would help fund the exhibit? Out of the goodness of their hearts?
Oh no – the African plains tree species is actually called “baobab”, not “baobob”.