Vote on names for newborn penguins at Akron Zoo

Written by admin on March 30, 2011 – 2:54 pm

Published: Monday, April 04, 2011, 12:13 PM

Help name these penguin checks at the Akron Zoo. The male is on the left, the female on the right. AKRON, Ohio — The two endangered Humboldt penguin chicks that were born at the Akron Zoo in January have started venturing onto exhibit, so it’s time to give them names.

The zoo is asking people to vote for two names — one boy and one girl name — from a list of four possibilities that were selected by the zoo’s penguin keepers.

The naming contest will end at midnight April 15. People can vote for their two favorite names either on the zoos Facebook page or email their votes to .

The male names people can choose from are either Pacific (the penguins are indigenous to the Pacific coast of South America) or Pez (Spanish for fish). The female name from Nia (Spanish for little girl) or Nieve (Spanish for snow, since the chick was born in the winter).

All who enter the winning combination will be entered into a drawing for a behind-the-scenes tour of the penguin exhibit for up to four people. You can only vote one time.

The male chick hatched on Jan. 8, and the female arrived Jan. 11. That is the earliest that chicks have ever hatched at the zoo, a spokesman said. It is also the first time in the zoos history that two chicks have been reared by the same parents at one time. The penguin chicks weigh between 6-7 pounds. With the births the zoo now has 18 Humboldt penguins.

The Humboldt penguin is an endangered species, mostly because of harvesting of guano for agricultural fertilizer. Some estimates indicate the possibility of extinction in the wild in the next 10 years. Humboldt penguins are warm-climate penguins, unlike their Antarctic relatives. They are commonly found in more temperate climates like Peru and Chile.

Winter hours at the zoo, through April, are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; admission is $6 per person. The parking fee is $2. Starting May 1, hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is $10 for adults, $7.50 for senior citizens, $6 for children (ages 2-14). Children under 2 are free. Call 330-375-2550.

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