Vote on a name for baby red panda at BPZoo

NEW BEDFORD – Buttonwood Park Zoo is asking for the public’s help to name the baby red panda born in June, zoo officials announced in a news release. The first of this endangered species to be born at the Zoo, the male cub will join his parents in their spacious habitat sometime this fall.

Before the cub makes his debut, he needs a name, zoo officials noted.

Dozens of names were submitted for consideration, and five have been selected for public vote. Everyone is urged to participate and may vote by going to Zoo website, bpzoo.org and looking for the yellow box at the bottom of the homepage – or by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/redpandaname.

The finalist names are:

Tiago -- Portuguese for Jacob

Herman Melville -- in honor of the author of Moby Dick and an ode to New Bedford's whaling history

Rudy -- because he's red, and in reference to the movie Rudy, where the character overcomes great odds to succeed.

Kodo -- meaning "grain" in Nepalese, the language of the red panda's native habitat

Theo -- in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, founder of the National Parks

The cub, and his parents Jacob and Marie, are part of the Zoo’s efforts to cooperatively manage threatened and endangered species by participating in international Species Survival Plans.

Voting ends September 1.