WASHINGTON 鈥� The National Zoo’s聽19-week-old Andean bear cubs have names after people voted for their favorites.
One cub is named聽Mayni (MY-nee), which means “unique” in Aymara.
The other is named Muniri (moo-NEE-ree). In the Quechua language, than name means 鈥渓oving.鈥�
The zoo asked for people to vote ahead of the cubs’ public debut Saturday, March 28.
The choices for Cub 1 were the following:
- Larusiri (lah-roo-SEE-ree): This name in the Aymara language means 鈥済iggly.鈥�
- Mayni (MY-nee): This is an Aymara word that means 鈥渦nique.鈥�
- Kusisqa (coo-SEES-kah): This word in the Aymara language means 鈥渉appy.鈥�
The choices for Cub 2聽were the following:
- Tusuq (too-Sook): This is a name in the Quechua language that means 鈥渄ancer.鈥�
- Muniri (moo-NEE-ree): This is a name in the Quechua language that means 鈥渓oving.鈥�
- Wayna (WHY-nah): This is a Quechua word that means 鈥測oung.鈥�
The zoo says the names reflect the cultural significance of Andean bears to the Quechua and Aymara, the indigenous communities of the Andes region, their native habitat.
The names are important, especially since keepers at the zoo have started training the bears, teaching the brothers聽behaviors that will help animal care staff evaluate their health.
Andean bears, which are known to be loving and happy, are said to protect travelers, in particular musicians and dancers, during their聽pilgrimage聽to a festival held high in the Andes mountain near Cusco.
The winning names were announced live on聽隆Despierta America! and at a media event Thursday, March 26, at the Andean bear exhibit.
鈥淭his is the first time we鈥檝e had a pair of male cubs, and already we鈥檙e seeing them wrestle, pounce on and play with each other much more than our previous litters,鈥� says Karen Abbott, animal keeper, about the bears born Nov, 10 and Nov. 11.
In the past 10 years, three of five Andean bear cub litters born at North American zoos were born at the National Zoo.
