The Akron Zoo is holding a naming contest for its white-cheeked gibbon baby. The contest will run through Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 5 p.m. Voting is now open at akronzoo.org/naming-contest.
The name options for the baby boy are: Leuco (pronounced Loo-koh), Kien (pronounced Kee-en), Coda, Rain and Khai. The top two names at the end of the voting period will be painted on enrichment and presented to the zoo’s gibbon family. The enrichment item touched first by one of the gibbons will be the baby’s name.
The zoo’s adult female gibbon, Parker, gave birth to the baby boy on June 27. This is the second baby for Parker and male gibbon, Milo. The pair previously welcomed a female, Lolani, back in December 2021. Lolani still resides at the Akron Zoo and remains with the gibbon family.
White-cheeked gibbons are a lesser ape species that are native to Southeast Asia. The species is listed as critically endangered by IUCN Red List due to habitat loss, mainly from deforestation to create palm oil plantations. The native population of white-cheeked gibbons has decreased about 80% in the last 50 years.
