Meet Yola. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo.

Posted by: Gigi Allianic, CommunicationsOur 4-month-old female gorilla has a name of her own. Through a public naming contest, nearly 3,500 names were submitted and the baby gorilla caretakers have selected the winning name:(rhymes with Lola).Yola, which means “firefly” in the African language Hausa was chosen because the new gorilla has been a spark that has catalyzed and solidified the bonds within her mom’s group. Hear more from zookeeper Stephanie Payne-Jacobs on why they selected this name:We are grateful to all of you who submitted name suggestions, and many thanks to our gorilla fans who have followed the story of our new western lowland gorilla. She has sparked a fire in all of our hearts to fight for a future for this critically endangered species. Every time you visit the zoo, you support our conservation efforts in Africa and beyond.Show your support and symbolically adopt a gorilla today . Your ZooParent adoption helps provide care for the gorillas here and directly supports species and habitat conservation around the world.