Jellybean, a baby pygmy hippo, has gone viral after arriving at a zoo in Arizona, immediately drawing comparisons to viral sensation Moo Deng.
Back in 2024, Moo Deng, a pygmy hippo, went viral online for her cute behaviour in the enclosure, and looks. Plenty of visitors flocked to Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo to see her up close, and she is always the pygmy hippo that people point to when new ones are born.
Well, on February 23, the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park in Litchfield Park, Arizona, got their own baby pygmy hippo – Jellybean.
“It’s been so much fun, people have been coming out and theres usually a huge crowd right in front of the enclosure and it’s great to see,” Danielle Hinderliter, an education specialist for Wildlife World Zoo, told Reuters.
Baby Pygmy hippo arrives at Arizona zoo
“When she swims, she’s the happiest little hippo in the world, and loves being around mom,” Hinderliter added, calling it a “special thing” to see the two interacting in their enclosure.
Jellybean’s naming ceremony was even broadcast live on NBC’s TODAY Live morning show, catapulting her right into the limelight.
As well as attracting big crowds to the zoo itself, Jellybean has quickly attracted a following on social media too, with the obvious comparison to Moo Deng being made in abundance.
“America’s very own Moodeng! Jellybean,” one posted. “Jellybean is the cutest hippo out there!!” another said. She was also compared to Punch, the viral monkey in Japan, with some saying Jellybean is the “internet’s animal for March” too.
“Nice try, Jellybean. This is Baby Punch’s time to shine,” one commenter added. “If Jellybean isn’t going to carry around a stuffed hippo, we won’t be interested,” another joked.
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