Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo welcomed a newborn pygmy hippopotamus this past holiday season, and now she officially has a name!
“Holly Berry” was chosen as the name for the newborn pygmy hippo born on Dec. 1, 2017 at the zoo. The name was chosen through a contest in collaboration with The Hyppo, a gourmet ice pop company, with over 1,000 entries submitted through social media, pygmy adoptions and The Hyppo in Hyde Park Village.
“The Hyppo loved partnering with the zoo to host the naming contest for the new baby girl, Holly Berry,” said Jessi Streator, executive assistant at The Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops. “We have always admired the great work of Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo and really enjoyed being intimately involved in the celebration of this rare species.”
The zoo revealed the winning name and the contest winner with a special birthday celebration featuring The Hyppo’s pygmy pops made specifically to celebrate the newborn’s arrival – Honeydew Basil, Watermelon, and Cantaloupe Mint.
The zoo’s Africa team, who give daily care to the pygmy hippos, revealed the name to the public one letter at a time. The winning name was submitted by Jordan Thurmond at The Hyppo, who was there with his family for the reveal.
Holly Berry was born in the early morning on Dec. 1, 2017. She currently weighs 35 pounds.
With less than 40 pygmy hippos in the Species Survival Program, this birth is a special event for the zoo.
“We are thrilled to finally reveal the name of our baby pygmy hippo. It’s been special to have our community so involved in this journey with us. We are excited to share Holly Berry’s milestones and watch her grow,” said Chris Massaro, general curator at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. “It was fun to partner up with a beloved local company, such as The Hyppo. The partnership was a perfect fit and we look forward to working together in the future.”
Guests are able to visit Holly Berry in her habitat in the Ituri Forest located in the Safari Africa area.
For more information on Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, visit LowryParkZoo.org. Check out the video of Holly Berry’s name reveal below:
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