What is adorable? Baby muskox named after Jeopardy host Alex Trebek
Jul 10, 2020, 8:44 AM
7/7/2020 (Photo/Katie Cotterill) Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Muskox calf Trebek with mom Charlotte.
(Photo/Katie Cotterill)
TACOMA, Wash. — 79-year-old Jeopardy host Alex Trebek has said that his favorite animal is the muskox, and now he has one named after him.
Tacoma’s Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium has named their newest fuzzy four-week-old muskox calf Trebek after holding a public vote.
Trebek took home 42% of the vote followed by Mak (29%), Ollie (27%), and Capra (2%), and assistant curator Shannon Smith said the name fits the fuzzy new muskox.
More than 5,000 adoring fans voted online for his name and with 42% of the votes… this fuzzy, four-week-old muskox calf loves galloping around grassy hillsides and occasionally head-butting rocks and running back to his mom Charlotte.
Who is TREBEK 💗 pic.twitter.com/HXRPz81Vpd
— Point Defiance Zoo (@PtDefianceZoo) July 10, 2020
“We all knew his spirit animal is a muskox,” she said.
The human Trebek has voiced his admiration for the arctic cousin of the sheep, saying he’s been impressed by how family-oriented they are.
“Muskoxen are family-oriented, and I like that,” said the actor in a quote on Jeopardy.com. “When in danger, they form a protective circle with the males facing outward and the cows and calves in the center. There are very few predators brave enough to attack this formation.
“Besides that,” he said, “I like the way their furry coats wave in the breeze when they are running.”
The zoo says that the baby Trebek was born in June and weighed around 20-25 pounds and has doubled his weight in the month since.
“We are thrilled with how much he is growing and interacting with his new environment,” said curator Telena Welsh. “He is energetic and wonderful to observe.”
