Facebook fans can help name new Zoo residents and be entered to win a family membership
WHAT: Oh, deer the Oklahoma City Zoo’s new fawns need names! The OKC Zoo is excited to welcome two female white-tailed deer to its animal family and is inviting Zoo fans to help name the fawns through a Facebook naming contest. Participants will also have an opportunity to win a family membership to the OKC Zoo.
WHEN: The naming contest will be hosted on the OKC Zoo’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/okczoo, starting today, Monday, October 5 through Thursday, October 8. The winning names will be announced on Friday, October 9 on the Zoo’s Facebook page.
DETAILS: Born on June 22, 2020, the deer siblings are temporarily residing in a habitat by the okapi. Once a little bigger, the fawns will relocate to the Zoo’s white-tailed habitat at Oklahoma Trails to reside with adult, female deer Chaz, 11, Cher, 15 and Ruby, 16. The Zoo’s hoofstock caretaker team compiled name options for the little ones that are representative of their connection to Oklahoma and its Native American cultures. The name options are as follows:
- Tiva (means dance) and Tula (mountain peak in Choctaw language) – Caretakers Choice!
- Kaya (means eldest sister) and Toma (means sun)
- Magena (means moon) and Ama (water in Cherokee language)
Facebook followers can cast their vote for their favorite pair of names – A, B or C and share it as a comment. Additionally, participants will be entered in a random drawing for a family membership to the OKC Zoo. Only one entry per person for the membership.
White-tailed deer, the smallest members of the North American deer family, can be found from Canada to South America. Fawns are recognized for their reddish-brown coat with white spots that help them camouflage in the forests and grasslands they inhabit. They lose their spots as they grow. Although the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists white-tailed deer as a species of least concern with a stable population, the species was near extinction due to overhunting at the turn of the 20th century. In fact, a white-tailed deer was the OKC Zoo’s first animal in 1902! The uniqueness brought guests from across Oklahoma and near-by states to the Zoo, which was then located in Wheeler Park.
Help name the Zoo’s new deer duo at www.facebook.com/okczoo! The Oklahoma City Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Advance tickets are required for all guests and ZOOfriends members and can be purchased at www.okczoo.org/tickets. Zoo tickets are limited each day to ensure safe social distancing among guests. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner. Regular admission is $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. Stay up-to-date with the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and by visiting Our Stories. Zoo fans can support the OKC Zoo by becoming Oklahoma Zoological Society members at ZOOfriends.org. To learn more about these and other happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit okczoo.org.