What's in a name? Everything, according to the more than 440,000 AOL members who participated in an exclusive opportunity to name the new baby gorilla at the Bronx Zoo's world-renowned Congo Gorilla
Forest. Of a field of five possible names, AOL members crowned the new baby Zola, which means "quietness" in Swahili. The promotion was part of "What's New @ the Zoo," a new programming area that
brings the delight and the enjoyment of the zoo directly to AOL members. AOL and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which oversees the Bronx Zoo, teamed up to sponsor the "Name The Baby Gorilla"
poll. In addition to playing a role in the naming of the new baby gorilla, members can look through a gorilla family photo album and access quick facts and statistics to learn more about the lowland
gorilla. This feature is part of a larger partnership between AOL and the WCS to promote the Internet's role in wildlife appreciation and conservation. "Choosing a name for our new animals is always a
fun challenge, and we are thrilled that AOL's members could assist," said Richard L. Lattis, Senior Vice President and General Director of Living Institutions for the Wildlife Conservation Society,
the Bronx Zoo's parent organization. "Through Zola, his Bronx Zoo family, and of course AOL, thousands of 'virtual parents' have experienced the excitement of our gorilla habitat right at their
desktops, while they learn more about our very special lowland gorilla family. And we'll try to keep AOL members posted on whether Zola lives up to his name, as he gets older and more rambunctious."
