A Kent zoo is celebrating the arrival of its new resident, Haggis the pygmy hippopotamus, who has a worldwide fanbase.<\/p>\n
The adorable hippo was born in Edinburgh Zoo in October 2024 and arrived at Wingham Wildlife Park on Tuesday after a long trip from Scotland.<\/p>\n
The wildlife park described her as a “sassy wee character”, adding they are the only zoo in the county to have a pygmy hippo, which is an endangered species native to Africa.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Edinburgh Zoo said they “missed their pygmy princess but are looking forward to seeing what she gets up to on her next adventure”.<\/p>\n
Edinburgh Zoo says Haggis has an important role to play in the survival of her species. <\/p>\n
Haggis has a global fanbase, having been featured on NBC’s Saturday Night Live.<\/p>\n
She also received a public apology from Greg James after she was called “not cute” on his BBC Radio 1 show.<\/p>\n
Native to the forests of West Africa, pygmy hippos are under threat from habitat destruction due to mining and logging.<\/p>\n
The London Zoological Society estimates there are only between 2,000 and 2,500 left in the wild, and is carrying out conservation work in Liberia and Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n