Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo from the Thailand zoo took over the internet after her birth in July of 2024. Another pygmy calf was born in October in Scotland, named Haggis. Now America has it’s own pygmy hippo calf, born on Christmas Eve at the Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia. A poll was created to name the lil cutie, and Poppy was decided upon a few days ago. But, Poppy isn’t America’s first pygmy hippo. It was in 1927, when Harvey Firestone gifted Billy, to then president Coolidge. Billy was captured in Liberia and lived at the National Zoo in Washington DC. He also made an appearance at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Billy is the common ancestor to the most pygmy hippos in American Zoos, including Poppy. By his death in 1955, Billy had sired 23 calves, 13 of which lived past their first year. So for the internet, pygmy hippo fever isn’t ending anytime soon.
Baby Poppy with her Mom Iris(Richmond Zoo, Virginia)
Haggis (Scotland Zoo)
Moo Deng (Thailand Zoo)
Billy (National Zoo Washington DC) 1927-1955
