STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Staten Island Museum needs you to name their mastodon.
Yes that large, furry elephant-looking creature that has quickly become emblematic of the newly expanded museum has everything he could ever want -- except for a name.
The mastodon, which once roamed the land here, is part of a natural sciences exhibit designed to help visitors understand what made the animal extinct. It's one of several exhibitions in the general interest museum, the second location for the institution (its St. George location is still open).
You can vote on a selection of names for the mastodon here, on the museum's website. The names were nominated by kids during the museum's grand opening in September.
We here at the Advance have grown a bit attached to the darn thing. We watched it grow from just a few hairy pieces scattered about the yet-to-open museum's floor to something of a mascot for the institution. (Watch the video above to see it all happen in hyperlapse).
So please, give the poor guy a name.
Oh, and congrats to the Staten Island Museum on its win in the "Best Museum" category of the 2015 Staten Island Readers' Choice Awards.