Current:Home > reviewsMoo Deng casts her 'vote' in presidential election. See which 'candidate' she picked. -ProfitPioneers Hub
Moo Deng casts her 'vote' in presidential election. See which 'candidate' she picked.
View
Date:2025-04-12 13:48:45
A wet, chubby baby hippopotamus has cast her "vote" in on the U.S. presidential election.
Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippopotamus at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand, was presented with two fruit baskets made to look like cakes this week, one with Democratic candidate Kamala Harris' name and the other with Republican candidate Donald Trump's name.
In a video shared by Khao Kheow Open Zoo on X, both cakes are placed in Moo Deng's pen, surrounded by a crowd of eager guests. The video depicts Moo Deng slowly walking up to her fruit basket of choice and before long, she's munching and crunching on the Trump cake.
Moo Deng's mother, on the other hand, chose the fruit bearing Harris' name.
Who is Moo Deng?
Nearly four months old, Moo Deng has taken social media by storm during her short time on earth. Videos and photos of the baby hippo yelling at her zoo keepers, resting in a water bucket and enjoying a bath have garnered millions of views this summer. And Khao Kheow Open Zoo boasts more than 132,000 followers on X.
Born on July 10, Moo Deng's name means "bouncing pig" in Thai. Her mother is Jona, 25, and her father is Tony, 24. She has two siblings, Pork Stew and Sweet Pork. Moo Deng is also the granddaughter of Thailand's oldest hippo, Malee, who is 59 years old, according to previous USA TODAY reporting.
Pygmy hippos, often thought of as the smaller cousin, are about half the size of common hippos, weighting less than one-fourth of a full-sized common hippo, according to the Pygmy Hippo Foundation. Pygmies are native to West Africa and their average life expectancy is 27 years.
In 2016, pygmy hippos were deemed an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A 1993 survey conducted by IUCN found that only about 2,000-3,000 pygmies remained worldwide.
A new pygmy on the block? Meet Haggis.
Moo Deng is no longer the only pygmy hippo looking for social media fame.
On Oct. 30, a female pygmy calf named Haggis was born at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's Edinburgh Zoo to parents Otto and Gloria, according to a news release shared by the institution.
“While Thailand’s Moo Deng has become a viral global icon, it is important to remember that pygmy hippos are incredibly rare," Jonny Appleyard, hoofstock team leader at Edinburgh Zoo, said in the release. "It is great to have our own little ambassador right here in Edinburgh to connect with our visitors and help raise awareness of the challenges the species face in the wild.”
Appleyard added that Haggis is "doing really well" and her personality is already starting to shine.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].
veryGood! (56)
Related
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- 'Get well soon': Alabama football fans struggling with Saban's retirement as tributes grow
- Longtime North Carolina appellate judge preparing to scale back work at the 4th US Circuit
- Watch these humpback whales create a stunning Fibonacci spiral to capture prey
- FBI: California woman brought sword, whip and other weapons into Capitol during Jan. 6 riot
- 'Due date, brew date': Sam Adams wants to give 9-month supply of NA beer to expectant couples
- US investigating if Boeing made sure a part that blew off a jet was made to design standards
- Kevin Hart reveals what he'd like to change about comedy in 2024: 'It's all opinion'
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- This week on Sunday Morning (January 14)
Ranking
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- Watch these humpback whales create a stunning Fibonacci spiral to capture prey
- Starting Five: The top men's college basketball games this weekend are led by Big 12 clash
- 'It left us': After historic Methodist rift, feelings of betrayal and hope for future
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- Democrats’ education funding report says Pennsylvania owes $5B more to school districts
- Greek government’s plans to legalize same-sex marriage win key opposition backing
- Paintings on paper reveal another side of Rothko
Recommendation
Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
Ohio woman who miscarried at home won’t be charged with corpse abuse, grand jury decides
United Airlines plane makes an emergency landing after a warning about a possible door issue
Democrat announces long-shot campaign for North Dakota’s only U.S. House seat
In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
AP Week in Pictures: Asia
Congressional Office Agrees to Investigate ‘Zombie’ Coal Mines
Isabella Strahan, Michael Strahan's 19-year-old daughter, reveals she's battling brain cancer