Zoo's Baby Elephant Gets His Name
Public Picks Samudra As Name For Oregon Zoo Elephant
POSTED: 11:00 am PDT September 12,
2008
UPDATED: 11:12 am PDT September 12,
2008
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland, meet Samudra.The Oregon Zoo announced the name of its 310-pound baby elephant Friday after a poll was conducted on its Web site. Thirty-five percent of voters voted for the name Samudra, officials said.Samudra is Hindi for "lord of the ocean," and zoo officials said the name is fitting because the calf loves his baths.Rose-Tu gave birth to Samudra late last month. Samudra's father is 36-year-old Tusko, a 13,500-pound elephant who arrived at the zoo on a breeding loan in 2005.Aside from Samudra, the zoo listed four other names on its Web site:Amul: Hindi for "priceless, of inestimable worth." Bao: Chinese for "precious treasure." Duc: (rhymes with hook or look): Vietnamese for "good, moral, desire." (Also is a portion of former Trail Blazer Kevin Duckworth's name, honoring the late basketball player. Hugo-Tu: This name honors the baby's mother, Rose-Tu, and maternal grandfather, Hugo. Hugo comes from the Germanic word for "mind, heart or spirit" and Tu is Vietnamese for "tree." Samudra, or Sam, is the first elephant born at the Oregon Zoo in 14 years.Asian elephants are an endangered species with an estimated 38,000 to 51,000 living in the wild. The Oregon Zoo has a renowned breeding program for endangered Asian elephants.Do you like the name? Leave a comment below.
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