March 3 (UPI) — A Connecticut zoo announced the birth of a female black-handed spider monkey — and officials are asking the public to help name her.
The Beardsley Zoo said the baby was born Dec. 18 to mother Janet, who arrived at the facility in 2022.
“Black-handed Spider Monkeys are native to the tropical forests of Central and South America, where they play an important role in maintaining healthy rainforest ecosystems,” the zoo said on social media. “The species faces ongoing threats from habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade, making births like this especially significant.”
The zoo has now launched an online poll, asking for the public to help name the new arrival.
The potential names are Esperanza, which means “hope;” Mirabel, which translates to “wonderful;” and Reyna, which means “queen.”
Voting is open until noon Thursday. The winner will be announced on the zoo’s social media channels on Friday.