THE FINAL ROUND
A massive THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the first round of our pygmy hippo naming poll! We received 52,794 total votes!! Since no name received 50% of the vote, we are having a runoff vote with the top 2 names.
The final names are:
POPPY (a flower like her mom’s name)
HAMMIE MAE (a sweet and southern tie to Virginia ham)
Voting in the final round will end on Saturday, January 4 at 11:59 PM. The official name will be announced on Monday, January 6.
We are so appreciative of the global support. We received votes from over 119 countries! In the final round, we will give a slight preference to our local visitors. Guests who visit the zoo from January 2 – January 4 can vote in person at Hippo Haven. One in-person vote is worth two online votes.
The first round was a close competition between these two choices. Both names led at different times during the poll.
As we analyzed the incoming votes, we noticed some spam/bot activities in the results related to the cryptocurrency online space. The zoo is not associated with any cryptocurrency and does not endorse any specific name. The naming poll is purely for fun and is intended to engage our community by raising awareness for this endangered species. We will be happy with either name winning.
It’s time for the showdown of the century… Poppy vs. Hammie Mae.
First Round Voting - December 27, 2024 Press Release Archived
It’s time to VOTE! Help us name our newest pygmy hippo calf! The poll closes Tuesday, December 31 at 2:00 PM. The official name will be announced on New Year’s Day.
Name Options
POPPY (a flower like her mom’s name)
JUNIPER (an evergreen shrub to remember winter)
HAMMIE MAE (a sweet and southern tie to Virginia ham)
OMI (means “water” in Yoruba, a language spoken in West Africa)
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12/28 UPDATE: Wow, what an incredible response! We’re thrilled to see so many people joining in on the fun of naming our adorable pygmy hippo baby.
In the first 24 hours, we’ve received over 14,000 votes from hippo fans all over the world!
FYI, if no name gets over 50%, there will be a revote with the top 2 names. Here are the results so far… and no, we can’t tell you which name is which color. 😉 This is fun!