April 21, 2007 – Today Cheyenne Mountain Zoo officials announced the winning name for their new Western lowland gorilla baby born in January. With five names in contention, Tumani, was the leading vote-getter in both hard-copy balloting and voting on-line. Tumani, meaning “hope” in the Swahili language, won with over 30% of the total votes. The announcement was the culmination of the “Vote for the Gorilla Baby Contest,” a great success for the Zoo with over 2500 name votes submitted.

Once the top name was announced, Zoo officials pulled one ballot from all of the hard-copy and on-line ballots entered. Shelly Baldridge of Colorado Springs was chosen as the lucky winner of the “Vote for the Baby Gorilla Name Contest.” Ms. Baldridge will receive a special behind-the-scenes Zoo experience and a one-year family membership to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo as her winning prize.

Final Five Name Choices for Baby Gorilla

NDIMI (nuh-DEE-mee) – Swahili for “I’m the one.”
LUMANA (loo-MAW-naw) – Hausa (Nigeria) for “Peace.”
IMARA (eh-MARA) – Swahili for “Strength.”
ADISA (ah-DEE-sah) – Ashanti (Ghana) for “One who will teach.”
TUMANI (too-MAW-nee) – Swahili for “Hope.” – THE WINNING NAME

Tumani was born to mother Asha and father Rafiki on January 31, 2007 at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Asha gave birth to her female offspring at 3:57 a.m. in the gorilla exhibit of the Zoo’s Primate World building. There were no complications during the labor or birth and first - time mother Asha immediately picked up her newborn gorilla. Asha and Tumani are members of a troop of Western lowland gorillas at the Zoo, consisting of five females and one silverback male.

Open 365 days a year, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is America’s only mountain zoo and is home to more than 750 animals representing approximately 143 species, 35 of which are endangered.
 

# # #