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Meet Eyare: The Calgary Zoo's baby gorilla has a name

Eyare, daughter of Dossi, is shown in a series of photos from the Calgary Zoo. (Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo) Eyare, daughter of Dossi, is shown in a series of photos from the Calgary Zoo. (Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo)
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Officials with the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo have announced the name of the gorilla troop's newest member.

Western lowland gorilla Dossi gave birth to her first baby on April 20.

The zoo then invited the public to help choose infant gorilla's name through a contest.

Those who donated to the zoo were about to vote for one of three possibilities from a shortlist of names chosen by NCFNigeria (NCF), which chose names that paid homage to the species, the people and the culture where western gorillas are found.

Voting closed on June 10, and on Wednesday the zoo announced the winning name: Eyare (pronounced EH-ya-hray).

Emmanual Owan, head of the NCF’s Calabar office, says the name means treasure, gift and pride.

"In our culture, the forest and its resources are a treasure and a gift. We take pride in the forest, which has brought us great fortune," Owan said in a video shared online by the zoo. "This is the inspiration behind the name."

Officials with the zoo said previously that the donations would help provide "exceptional care specifically to our western lowland gorilla troop - giving hope to this critically endangered species and helping to fund gorilla conservation action locally and globally."

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