‘Zia’ cut from hippo naming contest

The New Mexico BioPark Society, which organized the baby hippo naming contest, on Friday removed the name Zia from the shortlist of four names offered to the public for voting. It has been replaced by the name Matilda.

A representative from the Zia Pueblo “requested that we remove Zia from the naming competition,” according to BioPark Society executive manager Julie Miller Rugg.

“The society complied without question,” she said, and the name was replaced with Matilda, one of the 2,600 that were submitted.

The other names in the final four include Magdalena, Layla and Sienna. Online votes can be cast at bit.ly/abqhipponame. The last day to vote is Sept. 10.