The public is now voting to name Metro Richmond Zoo's newborn female pygmy hippo calf.
The calf was born Dec. 9, according to a Christmas Eve news release from the Virginia-based zoo.
“Long live the hippos! The Zoo is excited to announce the addition of a baby pygmy hippo to our heartwarming animal family, just in time for the holiday season. After a seven-month gestation period, the Zoo is excited to announce the addition of a baby pygmy hippopotamus in 2024. She was born on December 9, 2019. Congratulations to the pygmy hippo parents, “Iris and Corwin, on the birth of another girl,'' Mosley's Zoo said in a release.
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The unnamed calf is the hippo couple's third in the past four-and-a-half years and the second born around Christmas, the zoo said.
The release included a video of the zoo's new resident frolicking in his cage with his mother. This video was made to accompany the Christmas carol “I Want a Hippo for Christmas.”
The pygmy hippo was born on December 9, according to the Metro Richmond Zoo in Mosley, Virginia. (Metro Richmond Zoo)
“Most people have never received a hippo for Christmas, so we consider ourselves lucky to have received two over the past few years,” Metro Richmond Zoo said.
According to the zoo, Iris gave birth to the calf in water, making it her first water birth. Pygmy hippos, unlike larger, more common hippos, give birth both on land and in water.
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“The baby's natural instincts kicked in and he immediately started moving around in the water,” the zoo said.
The newborn weighs a “healthy 15 pounds” and will weigh up to 600 pounds when fully grown, the release said.
On Friday, Dec. 27, Metro Richmond Zoo began voting to name its new calf.
According to the zoo, the newborn female calf weighed 15 pounds at five days old. (Metro Richmond Zoo)
Choices include poppy, juniper, hammy may, and omi.
According to the Metro Richmond newspaper, poppy was chosen in honor of her mother's flower name, juniper is a nod to winter birthdays, and hammy mae is “a sweet, Southern resemblance to Virginia ham.” , and Omi means “water” in Yoruba. Zoo.
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The zoo said in an update on its website and Facebook page that the poll received an “incredible response” in the first 24 hours of its opening.
“We are so happy to see so many people joining in the fun of naming our adorable baby pygmy hippos.”
“We are thrilled to see so many people joining in the fun of naming our adorable baby pygmy hippos,” the zoo said in a statement.
The zoo collected more than 14,000 votes “from hippo fans around the world” on the first day of voting.
The newborn pygmy hippopotamus (right) was the third offspring born to its mother Iris (left). (Metro Richmond Zoo)
The Metro Richmond Zoo said if no name receives a majority of votes, a second round of voting will be held between the top two candidates.
The zoo also posted a graph of the results so far, but declined to say which names were leading.
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Voting closes at 2pm on December 31st, and the winner's name will be announced on New Year's Day.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Metro Richmond Zoo for additional comment.
The Metro Richmond Zoo says the pygmy hippo's name will be announced on New Year's Day. (Metro Richmond Zoo)
Metro Richmond Zoo's new pygmy hippopotamus comes just months after another pygmy hippo, Mu Den, made headlines in Thailand for its adorable behavior.
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Since Mu Deng first gained global attention in the summer, she has been parodied on “Saturday Night Live,” accurately predicted the 2024 U.S. presidential election, inspired makeup trends, and even appeared in a zoo. This caused a two-hour traffic jam on the road leading to the city.
