Johnny Depp? Donald? Vote on a name for Safari West's new monkey

Will Safari West’s newest little monkey be Tiko, Jasper, Percy, Donald Trump or Johnny Depp?

Or will he be Jaxon, as in Steve Jaxon of KSRO?

After sifting through more than 1,300 submissions of possible names for their newborn Patas monkey, animal keepers have come up with a list of 12 potential monkikers. Now the public gets to vote on what to call the 4-pound bundle of joy born Aug. 5.

Park spokeswoman Aphrodite Caserta said they combed through the email and picked out the names that came up multiple times. From that list Animal Department Manager Marie Barbera selected her favorites.

“Some excellent names were rejected beause we already have critters with those names, such as Nikko,” Caserta said.

The final decision will be made by popular vote. There is a ballot below. Voting will remain open until noon Pacific time on Monday, Aug. 31.

Safari West typically names its animals, but they were slow to come up with the right one for their new baby monkey.

“Giving a name to the animal creates a personal connection which we hope will encourage people to live their lives in a way that protects the world in which we live,” said Barbera,

The mission of Safari West is to promote animal conservation and environmental education.

Here are the most popular names and ther reasons behind the submissions.

1 Tiko: Because it means one is who’s greatly loved, revered, respected and admired.

2. Jasper: Because it means Jewel or Master of the Treasure and goes well with the name of the monkey’s sister, Jasmine.

3. Jaxon: Because it’s a “cool name for a boy - and he has the same eyes and facial expressions” as KSRO radio personality Steve Jaxon.

4. George: Perhaps for Curious George, George of the Jungle or England’s royal baby, Prince George?

5. Abu: One of the park keeper’s favorites, Abu is a character in Disney’s “Aladdin,” a mischievous thief with a weakness for valuables.

6. Donald: As in Trump. Quite a few people observed that the monkey appears “shocked because he caught sight of his hair in the mirror.” Or perhaps they spotted a few similarities.

7. Percy: For his fabulous smile

8. Rafiki: A character from the Lion King, which is Swahili for “friend.”

9. Gizmo: Named for the big-eared movie Gremlin.

10. Diego: In honor of the artist Diego Rivera

11. Carlos: In honor of the writer Carlos Fuentes

12. Johnny Depp: Separated at birth?

You can reach Staff Writer Meg McConahey at meg.mcconahey@pressdemocrat.com or 521-5204.