Idaho Falls Zoo welcomes baby camel, asks for name suggestions
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IDAHO FALLS — The Idaho Falls Zoo has welcomed a new baby Bactrian camel into the world Saturday, and the zoo is asking the public to give input for his name.
“It’s always exciting to have new babies at the zoo,” said Sunny Katseanes, education curator at the Idaho Falls Zoo. “This is the third baby born to this particular camel couple. They obviously really seem to like each other, and they do pretty well with their babies.”
These domesticated Bactrian camels are native to Mongolia, which plays an integral role in how the zoo names their animals.
“We are looking for regionally appropriate names,” Kastseanes said. “Typically that is how we name animals at the zoo. His mother’s name is Zasu, and that’s a name common in that region for the women.”
Although the names suggested on the Facebook post are not necessarily going to be chosen, the staff at the zoo thought it would be a fun way to get the community involved. Katseanes saiughd typically the zookeepers are the ones who choose the name, but any regionally appropriate name suggestions given by the community are appreciated.
“It seems to be the year of baby hoof-stock at the zoo,” Katseanes said. “We had the zebra, we had a baby muntjac — he’s a little deer that is up at the front of the zoo — then, of course, also the camel.”
The baby camel will be on exhibit in the coming weeks, and the muntjac comes out of the barn occasionally. Guest have been able to view Ayan the baby plains zebra for the past several weeks at the zoo.
To send in a name suggestion for the new baby camel, just post a comment of your suggestion on the Idaho Falls Zoo Facebook page.