Cubs Named

The story behind the names:

Sixteen-year-old Kyle Vessa of Oak Ridge took first prize in a Name the Lion Cubs contest sponsored by the North Carolina Zoo and Triad television station WGHP-TV FOX 8.

Vessa’s suggested the names “Dakota,” “Casey” and “Mecca,” for the three lion cubs, which were born at The Zoo last fall. The names honor Vessa’s former best friend, Dakota Gauldin, a young cancer victim and his two sisters. Dakota Gauldin died in March, at age 16, after a four-year battle with cancer.

Visitors to the N.C. Zoo’s Web site (www.nczoo.org) chose Vessa’s three names as the winning entry, providing them with more votes than any of the other four finalists. Vessa appeared live on FOX 8 Morning News on May 11 when his win was announced.

Vessa submitted the names to pay tribute to his late best friend, Dakota, whom Vessa described as showing “the courage and strength of a lion” while he battled cancer. Vessa also wanted to honor Dakota’s sisters, Casey and Mecca, for the love and the support they showed their brother during his illness.

The Zoo’s Name the Lion Contest drew more than 3,000 entries from 17 states. Entry names for the single male and two female cubs poured in from The Zoo’s Web site, the mail and from entry forms people brought to the Park. A panel of Zoo employees selected the five final entries.

Vessa’s first-prize win will be recognized on a plaque at The Zoo’s lion exhibit. His take-home prizes were a Family-plus Membership to the N.C. Zoo, a gift basket and a lion-cub adoption package from the Zoo Society. He will also receive a behind-the-scenes tour of The Zoo. Vessa decided not to take all his prizes, opting, instead, to donate his Family-plus membership to “a local family that has fallen victim to cancer.” That family has not yet been selected.

Each of the four runners-up also received Zoo Society memberships, which will entitle them to a full year of free admission to The N.C. Zoo, and a $25 gift certificate that can be redeemed at any of the state-owned gift shops at The Zoo. Also, 10 randomly-drawn entries received family packs of four Zoo tickets.