Celebrate
Mother’s Day with El Paso’s newest animal mommy
EL PASO, Texas – The
community is invited to celebrate the El Paso Zoo’s newest animal mommy with
their mommies on Mother’s Day.
The El Paso Zoo will shower orangutan mom Ibu and dad Butch with
love from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday,
May 10, 2015. The shower will include games, interactive booths, special
animal enrichment, and more. Butch will be on exhibit during the shower. Ibu
and their baby, born at the zoo on April 23, will not be on exhibit to allow
mom and baby more time to bond. Visitors will get to see exclusive photos of
the pair on Sunday.
Members of the community will be able to vote for their favorite name for Ibu and Butch’s baby at the shower. Ibu's keepers have chosen four of their favorite names. They are asking for the community's help to narrow it down to the top two names. The selected baby names are:
- Pohon: Indonesian, meaning tree
- Eko: Indonesian, meaning first born
- Moki: Ancient Southwest Pueblo, meaning step (as in a positive step for orangutan conservation)
- Khaleesi: Meaning queen (from the fictional Dorhraki language in the “Game of Thrones” series)
The lions, elephants, meerkats, sun bear and spider monkeys will also be voting on baby names using pinata enrichment at Sunday’s shower. Animal enrichment is provided to animals to provide mental and physical stimulation in their daily lives. Community members who cannot attend the Mother’s Day shower will be able to vote at elpasozoo.org/babyshower beginning May 11. On Father’s Day, Butch will pick between the top two vote-getters.
Baby
orangutans are completely dependent on their mothers until they are about 8
years old, so this is a crucial time for Ibu and her baby. Ibu and their baby, born at the zoo on April 23, will not
be on exhibit to allow mom and baby more time to bond. Visitors will get to see
exclusive photos of the pair on Sunday.
To help celebrate the newest addition to the orangutan family, people may donate needed items from the baby registry list at https://babyli.st/ibu-and-butch or www.elpasozoo.org/babyshower.
Ibu’s Baby Shower is being held in
conjunction with the international M.O.M.
(Missing Orangutan Mothers) event. The
birth of a Sumatran orangutan at the El Paso Zoo could be one of the most
important conservation achievements in the history of the Zoo. The El Paso Zoo has focused on Sumatran orangutan
conservation efforts with support from the El Paso Zoological Society
Conservation Fund for more than 10 years. This includes supporting programs in
Indonesia that rescue and relocate hundreds of injured, orphaned and displaced
orangutans.
Locally
recognized as the Best Place to Take the Kiddos, the El Paso Zoo sits on 35
acres of fun and adventure. Bigger and better than ever, the El Paso Zoo is an
expansive green space that is home to exotic animals from around the world and
features family attractions such as the African Star train, the Hunt Family
Desert Spring, and the Foster Tree House Playground. Accredited by the
Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), the El Paso Zoo celebrates the value
of animals and natural resources and creates opportunities for people to
rediscover their connection to nature.
