The Louisville Zoo's new tiger cub officially has a name. See what voters picked

The first tiger cub born at the Louisville Zoo in 20 years officially has a name, Kyle Shepherd, spokesperson for the Louisville Zoo, announced Friday.

The Sumatran tiger cub has been named "Kaji," which was derived by combining the names of his parents, Kami and Jingga.

Nearly 5,000 visitors and fans chose the name by casting a vote during a four-week period . Voters were given three names to choose from, all of which represented the importance of conserving the species and honored his parents, Shepherd said.

The options were:

• Satu (sah-too): Means “one” in Indonesian and speaks to the idea that each individual in the species in vital for conservation.
• Saya Sambal (Sigh-ya-sah-m-ball): Honors his dad, Kami Sambal, who passed away on August 20, 2024 . “Saya Sambal” means “I am spicy sauce” and refers to the wild nature of tigers.
• Kaji (kah-gee): A combination of both parents’ names, Kami and Jingga, and symbolizes the mates' contribution to conservation.

Kaji, born July 23, made his public debut last week after spending a few weeks bonding with his mother behind the scenes. Zoo guests can now see him and his mother, Jingga, in the Banjar House habitat at the Islands exhibit on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, Shepherd said.

Sumatran tigers are native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra, and fewer than 400 are believed to live in the wild, according the Louisville Zoo. The population is threatened by palm oil plantations reducing their forest habitats.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: The Louisville Zoo's new tiger cub officially has a name. See what voters picked