Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Hakuna and Matata will be on display soon at Hillcrest Park Zoo.
For the rest of their days, they will be called Hakuna and Matata.
Hillcrest Park Zoo officials on Monday announced the winning names for the warthog babies.
Online voters selected the winning names – Hakuna for the female, Matata for the male – said Zoo Director Stephanie Chavez. Bonnie and Clyde finished second in the voting. Simone and Pumba and Piggly and Wiggly were semifinalists.
Named after the iconic "Lion King" song "Hakuna Matata," which means "no worries," the siblings will soon be out of quarantine and on display near the llamas and the camel, Chavez said.
Chavez said about 1,500 voters participated in the naming contest.
The babies, about 3 pounds when they arrived at the zoo early this month, will eventually grow to be about 150 pounds each, Chavez said.
Chavez said the warthogs will start harness training soon, so they can go on tour around the city and become ambassador animals for the zoo.
