CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Voting is now underway to choose the name of the Metro Richmond Zoo's baby pygmy hippo, which was born earlier this month.
Officials with the zoo announced Friday that folks could help choose the calf's name through 2 p.m. on New Year's Eve. The options are as follows:
- Poppy (a flower like her mom’s name)
- Juniper (an evergreen shrub to remember winter)
- Hammie Mae (a sweet and southern tie to Virginia ham)
- Omi (means “water” in Yoruba, a language spoken in West Africa)
Watch previous coverage: Pygmy hippo parents welcome baby girl born at Virginia zoo
Click herefor the zoo's pygmy hippo naming poll.
The hippo was born Dec. 9 to pygmy hippo parents Iris and Corwin.
"The baby arrived around 4:50 p.m. while Iris was laboring in the indoor pool. Many keepers were present, and a few zoo guests even witnessed the miraculous birth. The baby’s natural instincts kicked in and she started moving around in the water immediately," a zoo spokesperson said in a statement. "Iris and the baby were shifted into a cozy, hay-bedded enclosure off-exhibit. This gives mom and baby privacy while they bond. Within time, they will move back to the indoor pool area so guests can see the baby. Iris is an experienced mother and very protective of her calf. The calf is nursing and growing quickly."
The couple's third calf now weighs 15 pounds. Fully grown pygmy hippos can weigh up to 600 pounds.
Watch related coverage: Ring in the new year with wildlife at the Virginia Zoo
According to the Richmond-area zoo, pygmy hippos are an endangered West African species, and only 2,500 mature hippos remain in the wild. Officials said pygmy hippos are distinctive from regular hippos because they do not live in groups and are usually solitary or in pairs.
“For this reason, once Iris’ two previous calves grew up, they were moved to other zoological facilities to live with future mates and continue contributing to the conservation of their species,” the news release said.
