Auction to name monkey in Bolivia

WASHINGTON — Britain's Queen Victoria had a pigeon named after her and President Theodore Roosevelt's dedication to conservation earned him an elk bearing his name.

Now ordinary people can bid online to officially name an orange and brown monkey first documented last year in Bolivia's Madidi National Park, seen by scientists as one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth.

Conservationist Robert Wallace of the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, who discovered the new species, came up with the idea of a naming auction to raise money for the management of Madidi.

"To discover a new species of mammal is just incredibly exciting, and we decided to use this opportunity to raise the profile of Madidi by doing this," Wallace said.

The auction will run from Feb. 24 to March 3 on www.charityfolks.com.

Usually, the person who discovers a new animal has the honor of naming it, but Wallace said he was happy to give someone else the chance.

"This opportunity is for someone who wants to leave behind a truly lasting legacy that they cared about conservation and wildlife," Wallace said.