Current:Home > MyMoo Deng casts her 'vote' in presidential election. See which 'candidate' she picked. -Summit Capital Strategies
Moo Deng casts her 'vote' in presidential election. See which 'candidate' she picked.
View
Date:2025-04-14 21:19:16
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! (6499)
Related
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- These Target Labor Day Deals Won’t Disappoint—Save up to 70% off Decor & Shop Apple, Keurig, Cuisinart
- Fantasy author Brandon Sanderson breaks another Kickstarter record with Cosmere RPG
- A measure to repeal a private school tuition funding law in Nebraska will make the November ballot
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- A famous cherry tree in DC was uprooted. Its clones help keep legacy alive
- Child abuse images removed from AI image-generator training source, researchers say
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Broken Lease
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Tap water is generally safe to drink. But contamination can occur.
Ranking
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Federal Reserve’s favored inflation gauge shows price pressures easing as rate cuts near
- Ancient mosaic of Hercules nets man prison term for illegal import from Syria
- Defense Department civilian to remain jailed awaiting trial on mishandling classified documents
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Social media is filled with skin care routines for girls. Here’s what dermatologists recommend
- Police detain man Scotty McCreery accused of hitting woman at his Colorado concert
- 1 officer dead, 2 officers injured in Dallas shooting; suspect dead, police say
Recommendation
The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
Getting paid early may soon be classified as a loan: Why you should care
A jury acquits officials of bid-rigging charges in a suburban Atlanta county
Teen boy dies after leading officers on chase, fleeing on highway, police say
US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
NFL, owners are forcing Tom Brady into his first difficult call
Lea Michele Gives First Look at Baby Daughter Emery
Canadian rail union says it has filed lawsuits challenging back-to-work orders