SEATTLE - What's her name? What do you call her?…These are the most frequently asked questions since the female Asian elephant was born at Woodland Park Zoo on November 3, 2000. Since her birth, the 530-pound elephant has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Her impact on the world has inspired an onslaught of name suggestions hailing from as far away as Australia, England and Japan.

The calf will finally get a name next month as the zoo kicks off its Baby Elephant Naming Sweepstakes. Beginning Monday, February 26, entry forms will be available on www.king5.com or at any Western Washington Bartell Drugs, Western Washington McDonald's and Woodland Park's ZooStore. Entry forms must be received by Friday, March 23. Due to Washington state regulations and game rules, only Washington state residents are eligible to enter.

There is one catch to qualifying for the naming sweepstakes. The selected name must be of Thai origin. That's because the zoo gives its wildlife residents names that reflect their countries of origin. The mother of the calf, 22-year-old Chai (rhymes with "shy), was born in Thailand and arrived at Woodland Park in 1980 at the age of 1.

"The rare honor of naming this precious baby elephant cannot be measured," says zoo Marketing Director Mary Lee Hanley. "Imagine years from now telling your children, your grandchildren and their grandchildren that your name was selected among thousands of entries!"

In addition to the rare honor of naming the first-ever elephant born at Woodland Park Zoo and in Washington state, the grand prize winner gets a trip for two to Thailand and a "meet and greet" the baby elephant for four. First prize winner gets to bring three others to "meet and greet" the baby elephant; second prize receives a framed photo print of the baby elephant photographed and signed by world renowned photographer Art Wolfe. Several third and fourth prize winners receive elephant fun packs that include a year-round family zoo membership, a commemorative elephant poster signed by the zoo's elephant keepers, and a $100 Bartell Drugs shopping certificate.

The 10 finalists of the naming sweepstakes will be invited to Woodland Park Zoo's naming party on Monday, March 26, where the grand prize winner will be announced live on KING 5 Television's Evening Magazine program.

In celebration of the elephant calf, a limited supply of commemorative baby elephant posters will be available at Western Washington Bartell Drugs and the zoo's ZooStore beginning Monday, February 26. Proceeds from the sale of these posters will benefit the zoo.

"The significant birth of this endangered species has inspired several corporate partners to step forward and help sponsor this naming sweepstakes," explains Hanley. "We 'd like to express our gratitude to KING 5 Television, Bartell Drugs, The Boeing Company, McDonald's, Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Thai Airways International. Without their contribution and support, we would not be able to offer the Washington state community this exciting opportunity."

The elephant calf represents the first offspring for 22-year-old mother Chai. After six years of unsuccessful artificial insemination attempts on Chai, Woodland Park Zoo sent her on a breeding loan in 1998 to Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Missouri. Following a successful mating effort between Chai and her intended mate, 36-year-old Onyx, the pregnant elephant returned to Woodland Park in 1999 and gave birth the following year after a 22-month gestation period.

The baby elephant, which weighed 235 pounds at birth, gains about three pounds a day and currently weighs about 530 pounds. She and Chai are on view during regular zoo hours from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. Zoo-goers can watch the elephant keepers bathe the entire herd daily in the mornings. Beginning March 15, the zoo closes at 5:00 p.m.