In order to name the newly born baby hippo, the Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia, USA, has asked the public to vote online to choose the most suitable name.
This female pygmy hippo, born on December 9th, is smaller in size compared to regular hippos. Her parents are Iris and Corwin. She has not been publicly displayed yet and currently lives with Iris to strengthen the bond between mother and daughter.
The zoo previously held the first round of voting on their website, receiving a total of 52,794 votes. The options for the name include Poppy, Juniper, Hammie Mae, and Omi.
The results showed that Poppy, Juniper, Hammie Mae, and Omi received 38.3%, 12.3%, 32.2%, and 17.2% of the votes respectively. As none of the names received 50% of the votes, the top two names – Poppy and Hammie Mae – will now compete in a runoff round.
You can now participate in the second round of voting on the zoo’s website. Before voting, you need to create an account and log in. The deadline for this vote is January 4th. The final result will be announced on January 6th.
In the first round of voting, the zoo received votes from 119 countries, for which they are very grateful. They mentioned that the naming vote is purely for fun and aims to raise awareness about this endangered species through community engagement. Regardless of the chosen name, they will be delighted.
Previously, Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi Province, Thailand, held a naming vote for a newly born pygmy hippo in August last year.
Now, the little hippo named “Moo Deng” has become a sensation worldwide due to social media promotion, attracting more visitors to the zoo and increasing the number of tourists by at least 30%.