Admit it. You've always wanted to name a Visayan warty pig.
Well, now's your chance (even if you've never thought of it before). Woodland Park Zoo is hosting a contest to name the three new Visayan warty pigs who made their debut at the zoo in May. The pigs are unique to two Visayan islands in the Phillipines, where habitat loss, food shortage and hunting have put them on the endangered list.
“We’re excited to introduce our three wild pigs to zoo visitors. As a population, the Visayan warty pigs are a critically endangered species,” said Martin Ramirez, a mammal curator at Woodland Park Zoo, through a press release. “By giving them a place at the zoo, we’re making the community aware of their endangerment and our conservation efforts to help grow their population.”
Participants will have to cast their vote on one of six different possible names: Adlaw (sun), Bulak (flower), Lasang (forest), Magdula (playful), Banhaan (nosey), and Guapa (beautiful).
Ballots can be found in any issue of the Seattle Times while the contest is going. There are no age restrictions on voting, but participants must be 18 or older to claim a prize.
The contest, which is presented by U.S. Bank and the Seattle Times, runs from July 22 to Aug. 3. Voters will be entered to win a grand prize or one of two runner-up prizes.
The grand prize is a $500 Visa gift card courtesy of U.S. Bank and a Woodland Park Zoo Visayan warty pig “ZooParent” adoption package. The runner-up prize is a $100 Visa gift card and a ZooParent adoption package.