By TAKAYUKI KOZAKI/ Staff Writer
April 23, 2024 at 18:43 JST
Dekopin, a newborn male monkey named after Shohei Ohtani’s dog, clings to his mother, Akira, at the Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden in Oita on April 22. (Provided by the Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden)
OITA--A baby monkey named in honor of Shohei Ohtani’s famous dog was born here just in time to celebrate the Los Angeles Dodgers’ slugger’s historic home run.
The Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden in Oita welcomed a baby “Nihonzaru” (Japanese macaque) on April 21, the first to be born this year.
The newborn male macaque was named “Dekopin,” after Ohtani’s dog.
To help people become familiar with the animals, the zoo holds a public contest to name the first baby monkey born each year.
The naming contest has a few conditions, including that the name must be associated with a word or event of interest in the past year.
Applications opened on March 16. The zoo received 797 entries, with the name Dekopin receiving the most votes, 52.
According to the zoo, Dekopin is the fourth child of Akira, who is 15 years old.
Currently, the adorable newborn can be seen clinging to Akira and nursing.
The day after Dekopin was born, Ohtani hit his 176th home run, breaking the record for the most home runs by a Japanese player in the major leagues, surpassing Hideki Matsui.
The Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden is a popular tourist destination located at the foot of a 628-meter mountain, halfway between the cities of Oita and Beppu in Oita Prefecture.
It is home to more than 1,000 wild macaques. Visitors can observe the monkeys being fed up-close.
The zoo said that the birthing season will continue through August. About 150 baby monkeys are expected to be born this year.
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