Wakayama - Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, has announced the final name for one of its 19 emperor penguins, completing a public naming campaign that attracted more than 30,000 submissions.
The theme park and zoo had invited the public to suggest names for the 19 emperor penguins in an effort to raise awareness of the species, which was designated as endangered in April this year.
More than 30,000 suggestions were submitted, resulting in distinctive names including Pera and Ekubo before the final penguin was officially named Yoyo.
The name Yoyo was chosen because the penguin's identification number was 44, which can be read as "yo-yo" in Japanese.
A keeper said the name had already become popular with visitors even before the official announcement. "Even before the name was decided, we could really feel that fans had become fond of calling her Yoyo, so we are very happy as well," the keeper said.
With Yoyo's naming, all 19 emperor penguins at Adventure World now have names.
Source: YOMIURI
