Step aside, Moo Deng: Watch this baby pygmy hippo born in Virginia just before Christmas

Watch out, Moo Deng. A new baby hippo has made a holiday entrance and she is soaking up the social media spotlight.

The Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia has announced the addition of a baby pygmy hippopotamus, born on Dec. 9. Five days after birth, the yet-to-be-named baby pygmy weighed about 15 pounds, according to a news release.

The baby pygmy was born to Metro Richmond Zoo's hippos Iris and Corwin − the hippos' third calf in four-and-a-half years, according to a news release. This is also the second time Iris and Corwin have welcomed a baby around the holidays.

The baby pygmy's birth was unique, as it was Iris' first time giving birth in water, according to a news release. Though most common hippos give birth in water, pygmy hippos can also give birth on land.

Iris gave birth in the hippo enclosure indoor pool. Keepers and a few guests were present to witness the birth. The baby's natural instincts, per a news release, were to kick and swim around the water.

Following the birth, Iris and the baby were moved into a hay-bedded enclosure outside of the zoo's exhibit for bonding. They will re-enter the exhibit soon.

More news: Why do we love Moo Deng, Pesto and other baby zoo animals? Psychologists explain

What's with the hippo hype?

The hype around the new pygmy follows a summer full of love for Moo Deng, a pygmy hippo born at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand in July. Videos and photos of Moo Deng yelling at her zoo keepers, enjoying baths, and resting in water buckets have garnered millions of views on social media.

In November, Moo Deng even participated in the U.S. 2024 presidential election, casting her "vote" for President-elect Donald Trump. When presented with two fruit baskets, one with Kamala Harris' name and the other with Trump's name, Moo Deng munched and crunched on the Trump cake.

Just a few months after Moo Deng's birth, a female pygmy calf named Haggis claimed social media fame. Born in October, Haggis resides at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's Edinburgh Zoo.

Pygmy hippos, thought of as the common hippo's smaller cousin, have been endangered since 2016. They are about half the size of common hippos, weighing less than one-fourth the full size of an adult common hippo. Pygmies are native to West Africa, and their average life expectancy is 27 years.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meet the baby pygmy hippo born in Virginia: Watch the cuteness