INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Zoo is opening a new reptile exhibit and needs help naming four baby alligators that will be on display. The new "Alligators & Crocodiles: The Fight to Survive" exhibit will open Memorial Day weekend.
Before that happens, the public will play a role in deciding their names by voting in a poll on the zoo's Facebook page. Participants can choose from three themes to name the reptiles:
- States where alligators live - Al (Alabama), Carl (Carolina), George (Georgia) and Tex (Texas)
- Trees and plants found in alligators' native habitat - Cypress, Fig, Glad and Palm
- Lyrics from the zoo's new "reptile rhyme" - Champ, Chomp, Snapper and Swamp
The poll opens at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 29 and will remain open until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 12. The winning names will be announced Thursday, May 13.
The new outdoor exhibit will include both American alligators and Orinoco crocodiles, which can both grow up to 15 feet long.
When the exhibit opens, visitors will be able to see the large adult reptiles and interact with the juvenile alligators during daily Wild Encounter events.
