Moo Deng’s 15 minutes of fame might be over – there’s a new pygmy hippo in town.
Lololi was born to 13-year-old mom Kambiri, weighing just 8.8lbs.
The adorable hippo – who is now nine months old and whose name translates to “there is always love” in West Africa – has since grown to a chunky 143.3 lbs.
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And she’s become a social media star online, as reported by What’s The Jam.
Zoo workers at Taronga Zoo in Sydney have been sharing photos and videos of Lololi online.
In one video, the pygmy hippo can be seen at the back of a pool of water – flapping her ears and adorably trying to eat the falling rain.
The caption reads: “The sweetest little rain chomps and ear flaps you ever did see! Little Lololi, Kambiri’s 9-month-old Pygmy Hippo calf, is now clocking 65 kg! Lololi is Australia’s only Pygmy Hippo calf! Taronga is not-for-profit, so your ticket to see Lololi has the power to protect wildlife.”
The video has over 472,000 views and nearly 44,000 likes.
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Someone else wrote: “We need her and Moo Deng to have a Zoom meeting.”
Sierra joked: “A new bombshell has entered the villa.”
Simba said: “She’s peace. She’s serene. She’s one with the elements.”
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Heather commented: “Every single one I just wanna hug, cute baby beans.”
But some fans are fiercely backing Moo Deng.
Tom said: “You’ll never be her.”
Jerad added: “Moo deng >.”
May wrote: “Moooo denggg.”
Fah commented: “Moo Deng… 2.”
Sadly pygmy hippos are listed as endangered with an estimated population of less than 2,500 individuals remaining in the wild.
Found only in small populations in West African lowland forests and wetland habitats, the population is decreasing due to habitat loss for logging, mining, and agriculture.
A Taronga Zoo representative said: “To help reduce habitat loss across the world, Taronga Conservation Society Australia encourages the public to look for and choose FSC-certified products.
“FSC is an international eco-label used on products made from forested materials which certifies that these materials were sourced sustainably.
“It can be found on products such as toilet paper, books, tissues, paper towels, tires, and timber products.
“Products with one of these three FSC labels means guests can feel confident they are supporting sustainable forestry and helping end deforestation.”
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