Watch out Moo Deng – there’s a new hippo calf in Thailand, and it needs a name.
The baby was born early in the morning of October 13 and was gladly welcomed by zoo keepers at Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park Zoo in Si Sa Ket, Thailand.
The gender of the animal is to be determined, as the mother has not yet allowed vets close enough to inspect the newborn.
As the time of writing, the five-day-old hippo is reported to be fit and healthy, but it will need a name – and the zoo is urging you to help choose one.
Since the birth announcement, the number of visitors has surged in a similar phenomenon to that of when Moo Deng entered the world.
Many are hoping to catch a glimpse of the latest chunky hippo.
‘We haven’t named the calf yet, so we’d like to invite the public and tourists to join us in naming it,’ the zoo told local news.
The workers also urged visitors not to toss food into the animal’s enclosure, as hippos are herbivores.
Guests who are keen to donate a gift for the newborn can leave food with the caregivers.
The zoo is open every day from 8.30am to 4pm and houses many other animals such as monkeys, bears, crocodiles, deer, pheasants, ostriches and snakes.
The newborn is the latest hippo to grab attention among animal lovers but there’s another contender as well.
Lololi was born to 13-year-old mom Kambiri, weighing just 8.8lbs.
The adorable hippo who is nine months old and whose name translates to ‘there is always love’has since grown to 143.3lbs.
Zoo workers at Taronga Zoo in Sydney have been sharing photos and videos of Lololi online.
In one video, the pygmy hippo can be seen at the back of a pool of water – flapping her ears and adorably trying to eat the falling rain.
And there is, of course, Moo Deng – the creature who started the obsession with pygmy hippos.
Moo-Deng has been dubbed an ‘icon’ and ‘legend’ by Time Magazine, and has already amassed 2.5 million followers on her TikTok account.
She lives in Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand – and her name means ‘bouncy pork’.
Atthapon Nundee, 31, a zookeeper at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, said: ‘The moment I saw Moo-Deng born, I set a goal to make her famous, but I never expected it would spread abroad. I thought she could be famous in Thailand but not internationally.
‘She is called ‘bouncy’ and she is quite ‘bouncy’ too.’
The adorable hippo has siblings also named after pork – Moo Wan, which means Thai sweet pork; Pha Lor, which means pork belly stew; and Moo Tun, which means stewed pork.
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