Your support helps us tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to big tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the finances of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word,’ which shines a light on American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know the importance of analyzing the facts of messaging. .
At such a critical moment in American history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to continue sending journalists to tell both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to block Americans from our reporting and analysis with a paywall. We believe that quality journalism should be available to everyone, and paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes a difference.
Take cover Moo Dengthere is a the new little hippo in town.
Earlier this month, the Metro Richmond Zoo in Moseley, Virginia, welcomed a baby female pygmy hippopotamus the calf whose name will be decided by the public.
The newborn, who currently weighs 15 pounds, is the third calf conceived by hippopotamus couple Iris and Corwin in the past four and a half years. According to the Zoo, Iris gave birth to her on December 9 through a water birth. She was the second baby to be born nearby Christmas.
Although standard-sized hippos are usually born under water, small hippos can be born in water or on land.
An adult small hippo can weigh between 400 and 600 pounds, while larger, fully grown hippos can weigh up to 9,920 pounds and 3,000 pounds, depending on whether they are male or female.
The zoo opened the debate on her name to the public on December 27 with a survey which includes four choices: Juniper, Poppy, Omi and Hammie Mae.
Each name has a significant meaning with Juniper acting as an ode to the season in which she was born; Poppy follows suit with her mother’s name of a type of flower; Omi because it means “water” in Yoruba (the language of Niger and Congo), and Hammie Mae is “a sweet and southern connection to Virginia ham.”
The name that receives the most votes will be given to the newborn. However, a subsequent vote will be taken if the results show a tie for multiple names.
According to an update posted on the zoo’s Facebook page, the survey drew a total of 14,000 participants from around the world in the first 24 hours.
The final decision will be announced on New Year’s Day after the polls close at 2 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
“We are thrilled to see so many people joining in the naming party for our adorable little baby hippo,” the Zoo wrote on its social media page.
The excitement and global interest in the newborn baby hippo from Virginia comes after a two-month-old female hippo named Moo Deng from Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo sparked an internet frenzy back in September.
Not only does her name translate to “bouncy pig,” although that delighted many, fans were also charmed by the baby animal’s display of lethargic behavior and playful innocence as she splashed around in pools of water and bit zoo workers. It became the subject of several political memes amid the US presidential election and she was even given a say in which candidate she preferred. Showing great foresight, she chose President-elect Donald Trump.
Some Moo Deng-obsessors shaped the cakes after a small hippo to sell to other hippo enthusiasts. Vetmon Cafe in Bangkok was the first of many to make Moo Deng delicious. However, several customers reportedly displayed a moral dilemma, refusing to eat the edible hippopotamus because it looked “too cute”.