CONTACT: Kyle Shepherd
Direct: 502-238-5331  |  Media Only: 502-744-5639
kyle.shepherd@louisvilleky.gov

Zoo Guests Name Hippo

The cute little baby boy pygmy hippo finally has a name – we shall call him “Jahari.”

Louisville Zoo guests submitted over 2500 names and zoo keepers narrowed it down to three that were presented to the public for voting – Ace, Jahari and Kimani. Zoo guests had until October 26 to vote for their favorite name by dropping coins and bills into a naming kiosk on the Zoo’s Front Plaza.

Cheryl Cline of Jeffersonville Indiana submitted the winning name and will receive a behind-the-scenes tour with Jahari. The name means one who has youth, strength and power.

Jahari was born August 28, 2014 to the Zoo’s adult hippo pair Hope and Maji. Pygmy Hippos range from Liberia, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Guinea in Africa. They can weigh between 400-600 lbs.

The hippo birth was planned and is a part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP). Breeding plans work to improve the genetic diversity of managed animal populations.

All of the proceeds of the naming contest will go to the care and feeding of Jahari and the other animals at the Zoo.

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The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

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