The Thai baby hippo Moo Deng became a true Instagram sensation last year, and she’s no longer the only superstar pygmy hippopotamus around. The Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia is now home to its own baby hippo, who was named Poppy after 100,000 people worldwide took part in a poll to choose her name.
Poppy was born on December 9 at Metro Richmond Zoo in Richmond, Virginia, as the third calf of her mom Iris, and dad Corwin. The zoo announced her birth on Christmas Eve, revealing a few zoo guests witnessed her miraculous birth, along with many keepers who were there to take care of Poppy and her mom.
More than 100,000 people from 165 countries placed votes choosing baby hippo’s name, and Poppy was picked as the winner with 52,8%, narrowly beating Hammie Mae. This name is as fitting as it gets since her mom Iris and sisters Violet and Petunia are also named after flowers.
The Metro Richmond Zoo is constantly sharing Poppy’s photos and videos on Instagram, and they’re hoping that her popularity will inspire people to learn more about her endangered species. The pygmy hippos are native to West Africa, and only 2,500 mature individuals can be found in the wild.
