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The Waterhole

October 2012

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Animal Encounter: A Name for Asha's Baby

When Asha, a member of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Western Lowland gorilla troop, gave birth to a boy on August 14, 2012, the entire Zoo staff and community celebrated. Everyone wanted to offer their suggestions on what his name should be, so the opportunity to name him was opened to the public through a naming contest. Over 800 names poured in from around the country. Our primate care team was given the difficult task of reviewing submissions and narrowing it down to their top three. 

The top three names chosen were:

  • Ade (‘AH day’- meaning peak, pinnacle and royal)
  • Dembe (‘DEHM bay’- meaning peace)
  • Kaboko (‘kah BOH koh’- a name suggested in memory of an orphaned African gorilla at the Virunga National Park in Africa).

Voting via donations ran in Primate World from September 25 to October 7. Donations collected from voting are assisting in funding a new commercial-sized refrigerator for the primates’ new specialized diet.

All of the pennies, nickels, dimes and dollars have been counted, and we are thrilled to announce our newest troop member’s name is Dembe! Dembe’s name was submitted by Alixandra Inskeep, who will not only have bragging rights for naming the newest Zoo resident, but will also receive a one-year Zoo membership and a special tour featuring the primates.

Dembe hasn’t learned his name quite yet, but the primate keepers report that he is healthy and very strong for his age. You can frequently see him riding on his mother’s back and taking naps on her belly. On your next visit to the Zoo, stop by Primate World and watch Dembe grow!


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