EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) –The El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens want the public’s help in naming a new penguin mascot that will represent the Magellanic penguins in the facility’s new penguin exhibit.
The zoo’s team has narrowed the selection of names to five finalists and is putting the final choice down to a vote.
- Pablo
- Pancho
- Patches
- Pebbles
- Pepe
Zoo fans have until midnight, Wednesday, Nov. 15 to vote by visiting the City of El Paso and El Paso Zoo’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. A pinned posting will display the potential mascot names and a link for users to vote.
Voting is limited to one vote per person. The winning name and the mascot itself will be revealed during the Scherr Legate WinterFest Break the Ice event at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16.
The penguin mascot will represent the zoo’s educational resources, conservation efforts and services provided by the El Paso Zoo.
The El Paso Zoo will soon be receiving a colony of Magellanic penguins. The aquatic, flightless, warm-weathered birds are native to South American coastal regions such as Argentina and Chile. A state-of-the-art penguin encounter will be home to the penguins. The encounter will have glass viewing areas above and below water and web cameras for online viewing.
