Jose Altuve has pretty much every accolade to his name over 16 seasons with the Houston Astros: two World Series, an MVP, a Gold Glove and seven Silver Sluggers. Now, the nine-time All-Star can add to that list … being the namesake of a zoo animal?!
The Houston Zoo announced Thursday that a new baby howler monkey had arrived with the name “Tuve,” honoring the nickname of Altuve, a “Houston legend.” Though Tuve was actually born March 20, the Houston Zoo wrote in a blog that the name was chosen for two main reasons.
First, because Tuve’s announcement to the world came in such close proximity to Altuve’s actual birthday, May 6. Secondly, because Altuve and howler monkeys both hail from South America; Altuve from Venezuela and Tuve’s species from the Pantanal, one of the world’s largest tropical wetlands located mostly in Brazil.
According to the blog, zoo visitors can meet Tuve (and a new white-cheeked gibbon that does not appear to have a name just yet) during the Houston Zoo’s Mother’s Day celebration on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m CT.
Can Tuve throw out a ceremonial first pitch? We need to see these two meet.