"Why Is My Name 'Sero'?" Who Named the Baby Spotted Zebra?

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On the afternoon of the 23rd, there has been growing interest in 'Sero,' the Grant's zebra who broke out of its enclosure at the Children's Grand Park Zoo in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, roamed around the city for about three hours, and was eventually caught and returned. Curiosity is also increasing about the meaning of the zebra's name 'Sero' and who named it.

According to the Children's Grand Park, the name 'Sero' was given by the caretakers in charge. A representative from the Children's Grand Park explained in a phone call with Asia Economy on the 31st, "Usually, we name animals based on their appearance," adding, "In the past, animals did not have names, but recently, with the strengthening of animal welfare and, above all, to foster intimacy and communication with the animals, we have started giving them names." They continued, "For example, if the fur looks like clouds, we name it 'Gureumi' (meaning 'cloud'). Since Sero is a zebra, and its horizontal and vertical stripes are pretty, we named it 'Sero' (meaning 'vertical')."

On the afternoon of the 30th, a zebra named Sero is walking in the enclosure at Seoul Children's Grand Park Zoo.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Looking at the names of animals currently at Children's Grand Park, the elephants are named 'Kori' and 'Kamsuni' (mother and child), the hyena siblings are 'Umba' and 'Dumba,' the red fox siblings are 'Dong-i' and 'Huimang-i,' the Eurasian lynx couple are 'Lingling' and 'Linga,' the tiger is 'Onsae,' and the Steller sea lion is 'Komando.' All these names were given by caretakers based on the animals' characteristics or key points to make them easy to call.

Not only Children's Grand Park but also other zoos such as Everland are naming animals out of respect for animal rights. This is a shift from the past when animals either had no names or were given names carelessly, aiming to respect the 'agency' of animals.

Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, has been operating an animal naming committee called the 'Animal Naming Committee' within the zoo since 2005. The types of animal names include nicknames derived from the animal's behavior or movements, the animal's habitat, and references to social trends. For example, the three lion brothers born at Everland in 1999 were named 'Email,' 'Techno,' and 'ID.' Many tigers born during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup were named 'Round of 16' and 'Victory' for similar reasons.

Lesser panda at Everland Zoo. Most of them have cute names, such as 'Rea'. Photo by Everland YouTube capture

There were also names that sparked intense debate. For example, for a two-toed sloth born at Seoul Grand Park in 2011, there was a discussion on whether to name it 'Jammanbo' (a sleeping character from the cartoon 'Pok?mon'), or 'Jambo' or 'Manbo.' The meeting lasted over an hour, and the name 'Manbo,' which received six votes, was ultimately chosen.

Naming is not simply a one-time event; animals can also be renamed, just like humans. For instance, the Malayan sun bear named 'Kkoma' was considered for renaming after it grew up, as it was no longer appropriate to call it 'Kkoma' (meaning 'little one').

Meanwhile, Sero was born in 2019 at Children's Grand Park and lived with its mother 'Ruru' and father 'Garo.' According to a video released by the Seoul Facilities Corporation in January, Sero had a very good relationship with its parents. However, after Ruru passed away in 2021 and Garo last year, Sero ended up living alone. Given that zebras are social animals, it is said that Sero struggled with loneliness. At that time, Sero began to resist by not entering its enclosure properly and fighting with kangaroos in a nearby barn. Although caretakers cared for Sero by giving snacks and toys, it eventually broke out of its enclosure.

Currently, Sero has regained emotional stability and is eating carrots, which it previously refused. In particular, Sero has become a major star at Children's Grand Park, attracting long lines of visitors eager to see it. Jo Kyung-wook, head of the Animal Welfare Team at Children's Grand Park, said, "When we first opened the door to the enclosure, Sero hesitated, probably curious about the new temporary fence, but soon came out and wandered around here and there," adding, "Sero is currently eating well and has almost fully recovered to its previous condition."