Rival to Moo Deng born at Edinburgh Zoo has been given a very Scottish name

An adorable endangered pygmy hippo has been born at Edinburgh Zoo.

She was welcomed to the world on October 30 and, to reflect her Scottish birthplace, has been named Haggis.

The calf – daughter of Gloria and Otto – arrived months after Moo Deng, a pygmy hippo born in Thailand in July that went on to become an internet sensation.

Edinburgh Zoo posted on its X account today: ‘Moo Deng? Who deng? Introducing… Haggis.’

Jonny Appleyard, hoofstock team leader at the facility, said: ‘Haggis is doing really well so far and it is amazing to see her personality beginning to shine already.

‘The first 30 days are critical for her development, so the pygmy hippo house will be closed for now to allow us to keep a close eye on mum and baby at this sensitive time.’

Pygmy hippos are native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, primarily Liberia.

The species is classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) and it is estimated that just 2,500 remain in the wild due to habitat loss.

Jonny added: ‘While Thailand’s Moo Deng has become a viral global icon, it is important to remember that pygmy hippos are incredibly rare.

‘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.’

Moo-Deng, dubbed an ‘icon’ and ‘legend’ by Time Magazine, has more than 2.5 million followers on her TikTok account.

She lives in Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand – and her name means ‘bouncy pork’.

Atthapon Nundee, 31, a zookeeper at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, said: ‘The moment I saw Moo-Deng born, I set a goal to make her famous, but I never expected it would spread abroad. I thought she could be famous in Thailand but not internationally.’

But fame is not without its downsides. Some visitors at the zoo began throwing water and seashells at the sleepy pygmy hippo when she was sleeping in order to get photos, meaning Moo Deng now has her own security guard.

Edinburgh Zoo is running a competition to meet baby Haggis. The winner and a plus one will get a private viewing of the baby hippo with the zoo’s CEO, David Field.

The prize also includes a luxury breakfast and a tour of the zoo, lead by David. Entry costs £5 and money raised goes towards caring for the zoo’s animals.

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