Pupils to Help Name Moorpark Teaching Zoo’s Baby Camel

The new baby camel has just enough hair to stay warm, a loving mother and a nice comfy pen. He is missing just one thing: a name.

The newest arrival at America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College is waiting for Ventura County elementary school students to choose his name in a contest sponsored by the zoo and the Ventura County Edition of The Times.

Contestants are asked to submit a suggested name, a reason for the name in 25 words or less and a drawing of the camel. Any elementary school student who lives or attends school in the county is eligible.

While students must enter individually, teachers are encouraged to make the contest a class project.

The Times will give $500 in the winner’s name--to be commemorated on a plaque at the zoo--to support camels at Moorpark College. The winner also will receive a zoo T-shirt and free family admission to the zoo.

Born March 7 at 8:40 a.m. to a dromedary named LuLu, the baby camel already weighs 88 pounds and stands about 4 1/2 feet at the shoulder. He has cream-colored curly hair, dark eyes and long, long legs.

“That’s the thing you notice first,” said Gary Wilson, director of the college’s exotic animal training and management program. “You say, ‘Oh my gosh, what long legs.’ ”

LuLu’s baby is the second camel born at the college zoo in recent weeks. Qattara, a female, was born March 3 to another dromedary named Sadie. Both mother camels are on loan to the zoo from the Gentle Jungle, an animal-training facility north of Gorman.

The unnamed baby camel is rapidly gaining control of his body as each day passes, but “at first they’re quite unsteady,” Wilson said. “It’s quite an effort for them to get up, and lying down is sort of a controlled crash.”

While progressing well physically, the newest baby camel is not quite as advanced behaviorally as Qattara, Wilson said.

“He’s a little bit shy, compared to the other one,” Wilson said. “This one’s more reserved--he stays by mom.”

Among other notable traits, the newest baby camel has made full use of his dexterous split lip, an anatomical feature that lets camels pluck grasses from the ground, Wilson said.

Testing out these lip muscles soon after birth, the zoo’s newest camel “would make some goofy-looking faces,” Wilson said,

Students entering the contest to name LuLu’s baby must include their name, age, school and teacher’s name. Entries will not be returned and may be published by The Times or used for promotional purposes.

Entries must be submitted to The Times, 93 S. Chestnut St., Ventura, CA 93001, by April 19. The winner will be announced in the newspaper April 26.