Current:Home > StocksMoo Deng casts her 'vote' in presidential election. See which 'candidate' she picked. -NextFrontier Finance
Moo Deng casts her 'vote' in presidential election. See which 'candidate' she picked.
View
Date:2025-04-13 08:16:24
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 gcross@gannett.com.
veryGood! (87)
Related
- New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
- Family of murdered Missouri couple looks to inmate's execution for 'satisfaction'
- Mexico’s tactic to cut immigration to the US: grind migrants down
- YouTuber Ben Potter Dead at 40 After “Unfortunate Accident”
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- 'American Idol' contestant Jack Blocker thought he didn't get off on 'right foot' with Katy Perry
- Judge rejects Trump's bid to dismiss classified documents case but agrees to strike an allegation in the charges
- Ohio city orders apartment building evacuation after deadly blast at neighboring site
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Florida jury finds Chiquita Brands liable for Colombia deaths, must pay $38.3M to family members
Ranking
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Prison inmate accused of selling ghost guns through site visited by Buffalo supermarket shooter
- You really can't get too many strawberries in your diet. Here's why.
- Dick Van Dyke makes history with Emmys win – and reveals how he got the part that won
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- US Open tee times announced: See the groupings for Rounds 1 and 2
- Singer sues hospital, says staff thought he was mentally ill and wasn’t member of Four Tops
- Halle Berry's Wardrobe Malfunction Causes Multiple Nip Slips
Recommendation
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Federal appeals court weighs challenge to Iowa ban on books with sexual content from schools
Could Apple be worth more than Nvidia by 2025?
Here's what a tumor actually is and why they're a lot more common than many people realize
North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
'Not all about scoring': Jayson Tatum impacts NBA Finals with assists, rebounds, defense
Federal appeals court weighs challenge to Iowa ban on books with sexual content from schools
Florida officials launch cold case playing cards in jails, prisons to 'generate new leads'