Current:Home > ScamsMoo Deng casts her 'vote' in presidential election. See which 'candidate' she picked. -Wealth Legacy Solutions
Moo Deng casts her 'vote' in presidential election. See which 'candidate' she picked.
PredictIQ View
Date:2025-03-11 08:31:25
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! (1)
Related
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- Check your child’s iPhone for this new feature: The warning police are issuing to parents
- College Football Player Reed Ryan Dead At 22
- In Netflix's 'American Symphony,' Jon Batiste, wife Suleika Jaouad share joy and pain
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- Jill Biden is bringing a holiday ice rink to the White House for children to skate and play hockey
- Cybersecurity agency warns that water utilities are vulnerable to hackers after Pennsylvania attack
- What to know about Joe West, who is on Baseball Hall of Fame’s Contemporary Era ballot
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Peter Thomas Roth Flash Deal: Get $140 Worth of Retinol for Just $45
Ranking
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Maine offers free university tuition to Lewiston shooting victims, families
- Why Penelope Disick Complained About “Braggy” Kourtney Kardashian’s Pregnancy
- Live updates | Israel and Hamas agree to extend their cease-fire by another day
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- Attorney says Young Thug stands for 'Truly Humble Under God' in Day 2 of RICO trial
- Jan. 6 suspect who later fired a gun toward Texas officers gets 2 years for firearm charge
- Deion Sanders' three biggest mistakes and accomplishments in first year at Colorado
Recommendation
What to watch: O Jolie night
Jason Kelce's Wife Kylie Reveals What It's Really Like Marrying into His and Travis Kelce's Family
Note found in girl's bedroom outlined plan to kill trans teen Brianna Ghey, U.K. prosecutor says
Cher Reveals Her Honest Thoughts About Aging
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Senator: White House not seeking conditions on military aid to Israel, despite earlier Biden comment
Jan. 6 suspect who later fired a gun toward Texas officers gets 2 years for firearm charge
Mississippi GOP challenges election night court order that kept polls open during ballot shortage