WASHINGTON — Sage, thyme, sesame and tarragon.
No, we are not reciting off your holiday spice rack. Those are the potential names of the Maryland Zoo's newest family member, a baby female penguin chick born in October. Now, the zoo is asking for the public's help in choosing the winning name.
The Maryland Zoo said they have been hatching the penguin chicks for more than 50 years and name the chicks each year with a new theme. The zoo celebrated its 1000 chick last year with the arrival of Mille.
Previous year's themes have included everything from literary characters, space, types of trees and famous scientists.
Jill Pratt, the Vice President of Marketing Excellence at McCormick, said the company couldn't pick a favorite name which is why they are reaching out to zoo visitors for assistance.
"We have supported the Zoo for years and are pleased to bring more attention to the great work they do in our community and conserving animals in the wild," Pratt said. "McCormick couldn’t possibly pick a favorite from Rosemary, Sage, Sesame, and Tarragon, so we encourage everyone to visit the Zoo’s site and vote.”
The unnamed female chick is the seventh penguin chick hatched at the Maryland Zoo in 2019.
Have a favorite name? You can cast your vote for the baby chick here. Voting is open until Friday, Jan.3 at 10 a.m. and you can only cast one vote a day. The winning chick will be announced on the Zoo's social media page sometime after that -- until then, may the battle of the spices commence!
