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SALT LAKE CITY — The baby zebra at Utah's Hogle Zoo now has a name that both honors the state and the species: Zion.
The zoo announced Tuesday morning that the keepers settled on the name for a few reasons.
"Zion means 'highest point' and our species are Hartmann's mountain zebra – they live at an elevation in South Africa higher than Salt Lake City," the zoo said in a Facebook post.
Zion is also a part of the Species Survival Plan, which includes 125 species living in captivity (most of which are endangered or threatened). Animals in the SSP participate in research, education, and programs to reintroduce some back into the wild, according to PBS.
"We also love Zion National Park. Wherever Zion ends up with the SSP (Species Survival Plan), he'll have a connection to Utah," said one of the African Savanna keepers.
The colt was born at Hogle Zoo on Jan. 15; he was later introduced to the public after almost two weeks of bonding with his mother, Ziva, and getting to know his neighbors at the exhibit.
Members of the Hogle Zoo community had the opportunity to submit their name suggestions on Facebook when the baby zebra made is live debut. Popular name suggestions included Dazzle (the official term for a group of zebras), Raza and Zoom.
With the zebra naming competition behind it, the zoo is now letting the elephants vote for a bigger competition.
Elephants at the Hogle Zoo have correctly predicted nine out of the past 11 Super Bowl winners. Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m., Zuri will be led into a yard with a goal post representing the Kansas City Chiefs and another to represent the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The goal post she touches first will be her pick to win Sunday's game.
