Name That Penguin: Maryland Zoo Asks For Help Naming Baby

BALTIMORE, MD — The Maryland Zoo welcomed its 1,000th baby penguin this winter. When she was first born in mid February, zoo officials said it was too early to determine whether she was male or female. This week, zoo officials announced the bird is a girl, and she is in need of name.

Zoo staff members have pitched their favorites, and now the public is invited to help pick the winner.

Here are the options, along with a brief explanation of why staff selected the names:

• Amanzi – Means "water" in Zulu, language of the South African tribe in the penguin's native habitat
• Kay – Derived from the number 1,000, and its abbreviation "K"
• Mango – Aligned with the "tree" them used to name other chicks recently born
• Millie – Based on the number 1,000; Millie is short for millennium

Vote online here through The Maryland Zoo.

The naming contest will end at 8 a.m. on Friday, April 13.

After the baby was born Feb. 13, a blood test was required to determine the sex of the bird. Results took several weeks, and officials announced on Friday, March 30, that the penguin was a girl, holding a gender reveal party at the zoo.

Each addition to the population is remarkable; African penguins are an endangered species, and there are only an estimated 52,000 worldwide.

RELATED: Baby Penguin Marks 1000th To Hatch At Maryland Zoo

Photo courtesy of The Maryland Zoo.