Zoo announces winning name for new baby patas monkey
The results of a naming vote for the new baby patas monkey at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo are in, and the winning name is Etta.
Etta was born at the zoo Aug. 1, 2018, to patas parents Becca and MJ. Primate keepers determined it is a female.
In keeping with the zoo’s summer Dinosaur Invasion! theme, keepers submitted five names of dinosaur characters from “The Land Before Time” movies. Their selections were Mo, Foobie, Etta, Ali and Shorty.
The zoo held an online vote this week asking the public to vote for the best name. Almost 40 percent of more than 750 voters chose Etta.
In the “Land Before Time” movies, Etta is a pteranodon voiced by Reba McIntyre. The new baby is part of the Species Survival Plan for patas monkeys overseen by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Patas monkeys are native to the rainforests of Africa, where their population is declining due to poaching and habitat destruction.
Etta will spend the next couple of months clinging to her mom at all times. They can be seen on exhibit in the Social Animals wing of the zoo or outside in Primate Park along with Etta’s older sister, Kasi, and the rest of the zoo’s patas monkey clan.