NC ferret ‘Mumbo Jumbo’ recognized in unusual popularity contest

Ashley Anderson
·2 min read

BOONE, N.C. (WNCN) — Nationwide might be on your side, but so is Mumbo Jumbo the friendly ferret.

In its annual “Wacky Pet Names” competition, Nationwide recognizes some of the craziest names among pets that are insured through the company. On the list of the top 30 names released on Tuesday is a humble and bright-eyed North Carolina ferret — Mumbo Jumbo.

Mr. Jumbo finds himself in the running within the category of “exotic pets.” In all, there are three categories with cats and dogs rounding out the field of oddball pet names.

In the exotic pets category, there are two ferrets, a snake, two bunnies, a parrot, a turtle, a pig, a guinea pig and a lizard who goes by “Frosted Mini Wheats.”

So, who is Mumbo Jumbo? According to his owner named Brynn, he is one of the members of the family along with a few other ferrets who live in Boone, N.C.

See more pet & animal stories here from CBS 17

“He has grown up to be the biggest ferret I have ever seen in my life, and sometimes I wonder if it was in spite of my naming,” Brynn said.

The name choice came about as a twist of irony because when he was picked up, he was small and even the runt of the group. After tossing around the idea of calling him “Shrimp,” a friend suggested he was a little too big for the name, but suggested “Jumbo Shrimp.”

A couple times of just calling him Jumbo for irony’s sake led to the saying, “this is a bunch of mumbo jumbo.” Then, the rest was history.

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To earn the #1 title of Nationwide’s most whacky exotic pet name of 2024, here’s the list of names Mumbo Jumbo will have to beat out in a people’s choice vote:

  • BeezleBun

  • Boo Boo Bean

  • Boop Noodle

  • Cowpig

  • Frosted Mini Wheats

  • Magic Nugget

  • Midsize Sedan

  • Snoop Hoggy Hog

  • Thor Odinbun, God of Bunder

You can see the whacky dog and cat names that are in the running here. If you’re so inclined to cast a vote for the North Carolina rep, Mumbo Jumbo, click here.

Voting will remain open through April 12.

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