Koalas at the zoo now have Singapore nicknames

SINGAPORE — Four female koalas residing at the Singapore Zoo now have Singapore nicknames: Cantik, Sayang, Nila and Manja.

Last month, the zoo got members of the public to suggest names for the four Australian natives named Chan, Idalia, Paddle and Pellita.

In a ceremony today (Aug 5), each of the Koalas was handed two stalks of Eucalyptus leaves, each with names attached. The stalk that they chose determined their Singapore name.

Chan chose “Cantik”, which means beautiful in Malay. Pellita chose “Manja”, meaning affectionate in Malay. Paddle, the oldest koala, chose “Nila”, a name with historical leanings as Sang Nila Utama was thought to be the founder of the Kingdom of Singapura in 1299. Meanwhile, the youngest koala Idalia, chose “Sayang”, which serves as both as a term of endearment for a loved one and means love.

The names were choosen from more than 250 suggestions from the public, Wildlife Reserves Singapore said in a statement today (Aug 5).

The marsupials, which were a 50th anniversary gift from Australia to Singapore, have been on loan from Australia since April 13. They will be at the zoo until January next year.