CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO WILL ANNOUNCE ORANGUTAN BABY’S NAME SATURDAY MORNING

-- Results of Ballot and On-line Voting Determined Name --

May 9, 2009 - Excitement surrounding the naming of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Sumatran orangutan baby born in February has been in the Zoo air. This morning, May 9, the Zoo announced the winning baby name of GODEK. This is the culmination of the “Name the Baby Orangutan Contest” that drew great public response with 1100 name votes counted. Godek won with 343 votes, only 12 votes ahead of the runner-up name. Four preliminary names were initially selected by Primate World staff and the Zoo asked the public to vote from those four selections for the name that best fit the baby orangutan. Votes were submitted on-line at www.cmzoo.org or in –person on ballots provided at the Zoo’s Primate World exhibit.

Voting ballots asked for the voter’s name and contact information because ten finalists were selected by the Zoo from all eligible entries (on-line and hard copy) and were invited to attend the name selection celebration. After the little orangutan’s new name was announced, one winning name was drawn from the ten finalists to win the Grand Prize of a special behind-the-scenes Zoo experience for the winner and five close friends. That Grand Prize winner is XXX.

Final Four Name Choices for Baby Orangutan

• WINNING NAME:.. Godek (GO-deck) means “sideburns” in Indonesian.

Other name choices:

• Jeruk (jeh-ROOK) means “orange,” as in the fruit, in Indonesian.
• Samar (sah-MAHR) means “concealed” in Indonesian.
• Hujan (HOO-zhahn) means “rain” in Indonesian.

Godek is the second offspring for 21-year-old mother Sumagu (su-MAW-gu) and 18-year-old father, Baka (BAW-caw). Sumagu, also has a six-year-old son, Makan (maw-KAWN), who was also sired by Baka. Mother, father and sons are all doing well in the Zoo’s orangutan exhibits area in Primate World.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has two species of orangutan in its collection: Sumatran and Bornean. Orangutans share many characteristics with the African great apes, yet, in several important ways, they are unique among the Pongids. The orangutan is the only Asian representative of the great apes. Although its range once extended throughout Southeast Asia, it is now found only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. It is also the only truly arboreal great ape. In contrast to gregarious chimpanzees and gorillas, wild orangutans adopt a semi-solitary lifestyle.

Open 365 days a year, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is America’s only mountain zoo and is home to more than 800 animals representing approximately 142 species, 30 of which are endangered.