Cast your vote to name baby squirrel monkey, born at the Great Plains Zoo

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The Great Plains Zoo team is ready to name its new baby squirrel monkey.

The GPZ Animal Care team has narrowed it down to four choices:

• NJ (Ned Jr, in honor of father, Ned)

• Miri

• Lolo

• Caco

You can vote for your favorite name by visiting SquirrelMonkey.GiveSmart.com.

Each vote costs $5 and will contribute to enrichment for GPZ primates. Voting is open March 1-15, and GPZ will announce the winning name Friday, March 18.

The baby, born overnight Jan. 31-Feb. 1 to mother Daphne, is thriving. Because the baby appears healthy and is still tightly riding on the mom’s back, or clinging to her front while nursing, the veterinary team does not know the sex of the baby. The zookeepers and vets continue to give them space to bond.

Squirrel monkey babies ride on their mother’s back for approximately 10 weeks, before slowly beginning to explore on their own. They remain dependent on their mother for 10-12 months.

About the Great Plains Zoo

GPZ is open all year, with many animals on exhibit – indoors and throughout the Zoo grounds, weekly education programs, and a collection of fascinating and rare taxidermy specimens in the Delbridge Museum of Natural History. The gift shop features a snack bar offering a variety of coffee drinks and more. For more information on the animals living at GPZ, visit GreatZoo.org.