Japan's Baby Monkey Will Stay 'Charlotte'

A monkey born in a Japanese zoo will keep its name Charlotte after all. Oita city officials settled a national debate over whether calling the monkey Charlotte offends its British royal namesake. The officials announced today they will stick to their first choice because there was no protest from Britain's royal family. "We have decided to respect the feelings of the people who voted for the name to congratulate the birth of the princess," says city spokesman Kazuyuki Adachi.

The name flap began Wednesday when the popular Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden named a newborn macaque Charlotte, which was the favorite name in a public ballot. Immediately after the decision was announced, the zoo was flooded with protests from some Japanese who said it was disrespectful to British royals. Adachi says officials took seriously the views of both sides. Oita's mayor has endorsed the decision, saying Charlotte is "a wonderful and cute name." (More zoo stories.)