May 31--By popular vote, the Lincoln Park Zoo decided on Obu as the name for its baby snow monkey.
After a week and 2,197 votes, Obu took 37 percent of the vote, beating out Osaka, Okuchi, Otsu and Obihiro, according to an announcement on the zoo's website.
All options were cities from the monkey's native habitat of Japan, and they all started with "O" to match the first letter of his mom's name, Ono.
Obu was born May 2 and is the first monkey born in the zoo's new Regenstein Macaque Forest, bringing the total number of Japanese macaque in the habitat to nine.
"Commonly called snow monkeys, these highly intelligent, social animals are the northernmost-living primate species (other than humans) on earth," according to the zoo's website. "In winter, they sport thick fur coats and soak in hot springs. Come summer, their coats are lighter and you may see them washing fruits and vegetables in the water -- a behavior common in their native island habitat. Their faces? Those stay red year-round!"
The baby cuddles with his mother, according to the announcement, and is starting to explore on its own.
mmrodriguez@tribpub.com
@merjourn
