Got a knack for coming up with names? You might just help name Zoo Melaka’s latest baby black panther.
On July 1, Zoo Melaka announced the birth of a male black panther cub, born on February 24, and they want Malaysians to help give the little one a name!
A bittersweet start
While the zoo initially welcomed twin black panther cubs earlier this year, only one survived shortly after birth.
Determined to celebrate the surviving cub’s life, Zoo Melaka and the Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council originally planned to name him “Jebat” — a name inspired by legendary Malay warrior Hang Jebat.
But then came a twist: they decided to let the public take the reins with an official naming contest, running from July 1 to July 25 via their Facebook page.
How to join
If you’re a Malaysian citizen and think you’ve got the perfect name in mind, just click the Google Form link in their post to submit your entry.
But wait, there are rules:
- Only one submission per person
- The name must be unique and carry a Malaysian element
- Keep it under 10 characters
- No politics, no religion
Netizens go wild with creativity
As expected, Malaysians did not hold back.
In just a few days, the post received over 7.4k likes, 1.6k shares, and nearly 15,000 comments, all filled with name suggestions ranging from sweet and symbolic to downright hilarious.
Some suggested the name “Tuah”, hoping the cub would live a life full of luck and energy. Others got cheeky, proposing names like “Cukai” (Tax) or even “Oyen”, a classic moniker for mischievous orange cats.
One commenter even had a plan: name the cub “Baby” now and call him “Ah Boy” when he grows up. Genius? Maybe.
See their creativity here.
Not ready for the spotlight just yet
Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Councillor Sam Then told Oriental Daily that the cub is the second black panther born at the zoo since 2021. The first was born to an 8-year-old female panther.
With the addition of this cub, the zoo now houses six black panthers in total.
However, you won’t be able to see the baby panther just yet. He’s still being carefully cared for by zoo staff and is not on public display.
We wanted to share the joy of this new life with the public, so we launched this contest to let everyone be part of his journey,” Then said.
If you’re planning a visit, take note that Zoo Melaka will be temporarily closed from July 7 to July 9 for upgrades and staff training.
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