Current:Home > MarketsMoo Deng casts her 'vote' in presidential election. See which 'candidate' she picked. -VisionFunds
Moo Deng casts her 'vote' in presidential election. See which 'candidate' she picked.
View
Date:2025-04-15 10:30:42
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! (9592)
Related
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Union says striking workers at Down East mill have qualified for unemployment benefits
- Australia offers to help Tuvalu residents escape rising seas and other ravages of climate change
- How Rachel Bilson Deals With the Criticism About Her NSFW Confessions
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Body of South Dakota native who’s been missing for 30 years identified in Colorado
- Miley Cyrus, Ice Spice and More React to Grammys 2024 Nominations
- Myanmar military court sentences general ousted from ruling council to 5 years for corruption
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- Pregnant Teen Mom Star Kailyn Lowry Reveals the True Sexes of Her Twins
Ranking
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- Local election workers have been under siege since 2020. Now they face fentanyl-laced letters
- Some VA home loans offer zero down payment. Why don't more veterans know about them?
- Grammy Awards announce 2024 nominations. Here's a full list of the nominees.
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Kentucky under state of emergency as dozens of wildfires spread amid drought conditions
- U.S. veterans use art to help female Afghan soldiers who fled their country process their pain
- New Moschino creative director dies of sudden illness just days after joining Milan-based brand
Recommendation
'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
SpaceX launches its 29th cargo flight to the International Space Station
Miley Cyrus, Ice Spice and More React to Grammys 2024 Nominations
Taylor Swift nabs another album of the year Grammy nomination for 'Midnights,' 6 total nods
'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
‘From the river to the sea': Why these 6 words spark fury and passion over the Israel-Hamas war
Matt Ulrich, former Super Bowl champ, dead at age 41
A missile strike targets Kyiv as Russian train carriages derail due to ‘unauthorized interference’