The Edinburgh Zoo launched a cuteness contest between Haggis, its newborn pygmy hippo, and that became a viral sensation at a Thailand zoo this summer.
B次元官网网址淢oo Deng? Who deng?B次元官网网址� the Scottish zoo playfully posted Monday on the social media platform X as it introduced its infant hippo to the world.
The smack talk pitted two critters with more in common than just being females calves of the same endangered species. TheyB次元官网网址檙e also named for meat products that donB次元官网网址檛 typically carry cute connotations.
Haggis, the national dish of Scotland that is butt of many jokes, is made in a sheepB次元官网网址檚 stomach filled with spiced and diced innards. Moo deng is a type of meatball that means B次元官网网址渂ouncy porkB次元官网网址� in Thai.
Moo Deng, a pudgy, pink-cheeked pygmy hippo, quickly became a social media star about two months after being born at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in July. B次元官网网址s of her went viral and she was the source of endless memes.
The Thai zoo planned to copyright and trademark the hippoB次元官网网址檚 name and capitalize on its fame by making shirts, pants and other merchandise to support its operations.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is also looking to cash in on its prize pygmy with a drawing promising the winner a B次元官网网址渦nique pygmy hippo experienceB次元官网网址� to meet Haggis and her parents, Gloria and Otto. Tickets are 5 British pounds ($6.50) and the zoo had raised more than half its 15,000 pound ($19,500) target in a day.
B次元官网网址淧repare to fall in love with wee Haggis,B次元官网网址� the zoo said. B次元官网网址淲ith her playful nature, Haggis will show you why the world has fallen in love with pygmy hippos!B次元官网网址�
There are only an estimated 2,500 pygmy hippopotamuses in the wild in West Africa, where it is threatened by poaching and loss of habitat.
Edinburgh Zoo visitors wonB次元官网网址檛 immediately be able to see Haggis, who was born Oct. 30, because the hippo house will be closed during the first month of her development.
After using Moo DengB次元官网网址檚 fame to draw attention to Haggis, the zoo apologized for creating a rivalry.
B次元官网网址淲e were wrong to pit Haggis and Moo Deng against each other,B次元官网网址� the zoo said in a later post. B次元官网网址淭here is space in this world for two beautiful pygmy hippo divas and we should celebrate them all.B次元官网网址�
