Brookfield Zoo Chicago Asking for Public to Help Name Mexican Wolf Pup
Zoo and Visit Oak Park partner to offer prize package for one lucky voter

Brookfield, Ill.— An endangered Mexican wolf pup born recently at Brookfield Zoo Chicago needs a name, and the Zoo wants the public’s help in deciding what it should be. Animal care experts from the Zoo selected four names for the public to vote upon. The choices are culturally and geographically relevant names that reflect the species range of Mexico and the southwestern U.S. in New Mexico and Arizona.
 
Voting is now open online at BrookfieldZoo.org/NameTheWolfPup and will continue until Tuesday, July 2, at 5 p.m. CST. The name with the most votes will be announced on Wednesday, July 3, in partnership with Visit Oak Park, the convention and visitors bureau for Western Cook County.
 
The naming options are:

• - Esperanza—Spanish for “hope”—each new litter of pups brings hope that the species will
    continue to thrive

• - Alma—Spanish for “soul”—many people have a deep connection with the wolves

• - Sierra—Spanish for “mountain range” and the Mexican wolf’s historic range includes the Sierra
    Madre Mountains in Mexico

• - Kelly—the namesake of natural landmarks where Mexican wolves have been reintroduced
  
  “Mexican wolves are an ecologically important species that helps maintain the gentle balance of southwestern ecosystems, yet has been decimated over the years by conflicts with humans and other human-made factors,” said Mark Wanner, associate vice president of animal care and conservation at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. “We’re thrilled to have Visit Oak Park join us in asking the public to help name one of our youngest Mexican wolves, and share the significance of why this species is so vital to protect.”

 
Those voting and providing an email address will be automatically entered in a drawing for a chance to win a four-pack of admission tickets and a parking pass to the Zoo. Additionally, the winning voter will receive a one-night stay at the Four Points by Sheraton in Westchester and a $100 gift card from Irish Times Pub & Restaurant in Brookfield—donations secured by Visit Oak Park. (Winner must be at least 18 years old. If winner is a minor, the prize will be awarded to his/her parent or legal guardian, who must sign required document.)
 
“We’re delighted to collaborate with Brookfield Zoo Chicago and to ask our visitors and residents to help name one of the Mexican wolf pups born at the Zoo this year,” said Annie Coakley, executive director of Visit Oak Park. “There are so many great learning opportunities and activities in the Oak Park area and the Zoo is one of our wonderful partners that brings this to the public.”
 
This pup, and another female, named Molly by a Brookfield Zoo Chicago donor, were part of a litter of nine born on April 27 at the Zoo. Seven of the pups—six males and one female—were placed into wild Mexican wolf dens in New Mexico as part of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, a multi-agency conservation effort to increase the wild population for this species in the southwest United States and Mexico. Mexican wolves are the rarest wolf subspecies, and zoos serve a vital role in conserving the species through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) program. Brookfield Zoo Chicago has participated in the recovery program since 2003.
 
The two pups remaining at Brookfield Zoo Chicago are spending more time outside of their den at Regenstein Wolf Woods. Guests can see them along with older brother Ahote, who was born in 2023, and parents 5-year-old Vivilette and 11-year-old Amigo.
 
Those interested in supporting the care of the Mexican wolves at Brookfield Zoo Chicago can contribute to the Animal Adoption program. For $35, a recipient receives the Friend Package, which includes a personalized certificate of adoption, a 5-inch x 7-inch color photograph of a Mexican wolf, a fact sheet on the species, an Animal Adoption program decal, and an invitation to the exclusive 2024 Animal Adoption summer event. To purchase, visit BrookieldZoo.org/AnimalAdoption.
 
  

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Photo Captions (credit: Jim Schulz/Brookfield Zoo Chicago)
0514: Molly, a Mexican wolf pup born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago on April 27, and her 11-year-old father, Amigo, can be seen at the Zoo’s Regenstein Wolf Woods habitat.

2197 and 3776: Brookfield Zoo Chicago is asking the public to help name one of its Mexican wolf pups who was born on April 27.

3028: A Mexican wolf pup and her mother, Vivilette, at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. The Zoo is asking the public to help name the 2-month-old pup.

3961: A female unnamed wolf pup (left) and her sister, Molly, were born at Brookfield Zoo on April 27. The Zoo is asking for the public’s help to name the one pup.

2925 and 9478: Two Mexican wolf pups were born at Brookfield Zoo on April 27. One is named Molly (left) and the Zoo is asking the public to help name her sister.

7467: A 2-month-old unnamed Mexican wolf pup and her father, Amigo, at Brookfield Zoo’s Regenstein Wolf Woods. The Zoo is asking the public to help name the pup.
 

About Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Celebrating 90 years as a global leader in animal well-being and conservation, Brookfield Zoo Chicago inspires conservation leadership by igniting emotional connections for people with wildlife and nature, locally and globally. The Zoo is a private nonprofit organization that operates on 235 acres of land owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County and is home to more than 3,500 animals representing over 500 species, including many of Earth’s most endangered. Brookfield Zoo Chicago was the first zoo in the world to be awarded the Humane Certified™ certification mark for the care and welfare of its animals, is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and ArbNet. For more information, visit www.brookfieldzoo.org.

About Visit Oak Park
Visit Oak Park is the state-certified convention and visitors bureau for Western Cook County, representing the communities of Bellwood, Berkeley, Berwyn, Broadview, Brookfield, Elmwood Park, Forest Park, Franklin Park, Hillside, La Grange, La Grange Park, Maywood, Melrose Park, Northlake, North Riverside, Oak Park, River Forest, River Grove, Riverside, Schiller Park, Westchester and Western Springs. For more information, visit visitoakpark.com.