Poppy (pygmy hippopotamus)
| Species | Choeropsis liberiensis |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Born | December 9, 2024 Mosely, Virginia, United States |
| Parents | Iris and Cowan |
Poppy (born December 9, 2024) is a pygmy hippopotamus from the Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia. She is cousins with Moo Deng, another pygmy hippopotamus who also went viral online during the same year.[1]
Life
At her birth in December 2024, she weighed 15 pounds. She was born underwater, being the first of Iris' calves to do so. A vote was held on what to name her. After receiving over 116,000 votes, the name Poppy was chosen, with Hammie Mae coming in second.[2][3] In January 2025, the zoo started the online "Poppy Cam" livestream.[3][4] She was moved to the Hippo Haven habitat in March.[5][6]
See also
References
- ^ Beech, Hannah; Suhartono, Muktita (2025-02-01). "Moo Deng, the Toddler Hippopotamus, Is Still a Star". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
- ^ Baisas, Laura (2025-01-06). "Newest pygmy hippo born on US soil gets a name". Popular Science. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ^ a b "Move Over, Moo Deng: Virginia Zoo Launches Live Stream of Poppy, Its New Baby Pygmy Hippo". Mental Floss. 2025-01-17. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
- ^ Gamillo, Elizabeth. "A Virginia Zoo Now Has Its Own Moo Deng—See the 'Adorable' Baby Pygmy Hippo Born in December". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
- ^ "Baby hippo debuts in her outdoor space at Richmond zoo in Virginia". The Washington Post. 2025-04-01. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
- ^ "Poppy Makes Her Debut in the Outdoor Hippo Habitat". Metro Richmond Zoo. 2025-04-01. Retrieved 2026-03-01.