- A lady who visited the Toronto zoo, in Canada, was in disbelief over the names of some of its gorillas
- She was particularly awed to find two gorillas bearing ‘Ngozi’ and ‘Nneka,’ which are names of Igbo descent
- Mixed reactions trailed the video she posted as people wondered why the zoo chose such names, while others offered a backstory explanation
A lady based in Canada was in awe after seeing gorillas at the Toronto zoo with African names.
She made a video of the names of the gorillas with the caption,” Was not expecting that.”
A lady sees two gorillas named ‘Ngozi’ and ‘Nneka’ at the Toronto zoo.
Photo Credit: @nina.otisiSource: TikTok
Gorillas with Nigerian names
The lady zoomed her camera to capture the posters on the wall in the zoo containing the gorillas’ names and the meanings behind them.
She was particular about two gorillas named ‘Ngozi’ and ‘Nneka’, which are names for females of the Igbo tribe of Nigeria.
In the Igbo language of Nigeria, Ngozi means “blessing” or “divine favour”, while Nneka connotes “Mother is great” or “Mother is supreme.”
A lady is awed to see two gorillas in Toronto zoo bearing Nigerian names.
Photo Credit: @nina.otisiSource: TikTok
The lady’s video on TikTok has elicited mixed reactions, with many questioning why the zoo gave the gorillas African names.
When gorilla was named ‘Nneka
A Toronto news outlet, The Star, reported in 2014 that the zoo received over 10,000 name submissions for its youngest gorilla born in January, but its father, named Charles, settled for the name ‘Nneka.’
On how Charles chose Nneka, the outlet wrote:
“In a two-minute YouTube video, the Western lowland gorilla silverback struts over to the three displays containing fruit, nuts, palm leaves, bamboo and the three potential names.
“After some deliberation, Charles plops down beside one of the plants, he ruffles through some leaves where he finds a banana and picks the name — Nneka.”
Watch her video below:
Toronto zoo’s gorillas’ names stir reactions
GubemiOO_ said:
“Dam.n they even chose the names of stubborn Igbo babes.”
Enitan! said:
“What’s the reasoning behind this?”
SirenFoxx said:
“They couldn’t name the gorillaz becky, chandler, or susan??? Damnnn.”
Lue Se 🇳🇬 🇺🇸 said:
“Not everything is racism. These species are all found in the sub Sahara Africa region. Giving them those names are ways to show where they are from.”
Sihle Nkosi said:
“Do you guys prefer European-language names for animals that come from Africa? 👀”
Ntokomalo_mafungwase said:
“What does Ngozi mean in your language? I’m curious because in Zulu it means danger.”
💜Just Lizzy 🇳🇬🇨🇦 said:
“The gorillas at the Toronto Zoo were given Nigerian names to honour their African roots and heritage, because the species housed there, are native to West Africa. Always give full context!!!”
In a related story, TheTalk.NG reported that the world’s oldest male gorilla, aged 61, had passed away at the United States zoo.
MrBeast’s ‘100 men vs gorilla’ challenge
Meanwhile, TheTalk.NG previously reported that popular YouTuber MrBeast’s ‘100 men versus 1 gorilla’ challenge sparked a social media debate.
The 26-year-old, famous for staging crazy challenges with monetary incentives, announced he wanted to put the theory to the test, as he said he needed 100 people to volunteer to face a gorilla.
The ‘100 men vs. 1 gorilla’ debate became a viral sensation across the world, spreading to the Nigerian social media space.
Source: TheTalk.NG
