Help us name our patas monkey!

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is pleased to announce the birth of a patas monkey--the fourth in just under two years. Parents, Sara and M.J., welcomed the new baby early in the evening on November 30. The gender of the baby is unknown at this time; zoo staff will wait until the gender is determined to give it a name.

The new baby can be seen on exhibit at the zoo and via a web cam funded by Friends of the Zoo at www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org/live.

The zoo invites the community to help choose the young monkey's name. The choices are:

Girl                                                                            
Cheche - African word meaning "small thing"
Kenya - name of an African country
Zarina - African word meaning "golden"

Boy                                       
Harry Patas - sounds similar to "Harry Potter"
Jabari - African word meaining "brave and fearless"
Jabu - Zulu word meaning "gift"

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is one of only 15 American zoos to house patas monkeys. They are part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP) - a collaborative effort between the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and zoos around the world to help ensure their survival. 

Patas monkeys are members of the Guenon family, a diverse group of African monkeys found from the rainforest of Western Africa through the savannahs of Kenya. With their slender bodies and long limbs, patas monkeys are better physically suited for a life on the ground rather than up in the trees. They are one of the fastest primates, capable of reaching speeds upwards of 30 mph. Patas are recognized by a black brow ridge and nose, as well as by a distinctive white area surrounding their mouths that resembles a mustache.

In the wild, breeding typically occurs in the summer, which is the wet season, while births occur in the dry winter months. After an average gestation length of 167 days, the female gives birth to a single offspring.  The nursing period extends for approximately six months.

To vote for your favorite: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/namethepatasmonkey

VOTING CLOSES DECEMBER 19, 2012 AT 4:00 P.M. EST