Haggis (pygmy hippo)

Haggis's parents Gloria (left) and Otto (right) in December 2024

Haggis was born on 30 October 2024 at Edinburgh Zoo to parents Gloria and Otto. She has a full sister named Amara (born 2021) who lives at London Zoo as part of a breeding programme.^[1] She was named after the Scottish food dish haggis.^[2]

Edinburgh Zoo's pygmy hippopotamus house was closed for the first 30 days of her life to ensure safe development in infancy.^[1] It reopened to visitors at the end of November and Haggis was described by the zoo as becoming "bolder each day and spending more time exploring inside".^[3] On 14 November, Haggis weighed 10.4 kg (22.93 lb), having doubled in size over a two-week period.^[4] Soon after, Haggis began daily swimming sessions in her inside pool.^[5]

By 21 January 2025, Haggis's weight had increased to around 20 kg (44.09 lb).^[6] Two months later, after temperatures had reached 10 °C (50 °F), Haggis was allowed outside of the hippo house.^[7] In April 2025, she was introduced to her father Otto: they were previously kept separate to emulate the natural behaviour of pygmy hippos.^[8]

In October 2025, Haggis was moved to Wingham Wildlife Park in Kent.^[9]

Haggis received online attention within a week of her birth due to comparisons with Moo Deng, a pygmy hippopotamus at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand who had previously gone viral. Edinburgh Zoo's birth announcement on 4 November 2024 made direct reference to Moo Deng and was seen as creating a rivalry between the two. They made a joke notes app apology later that day.^[10] The following week, the rivalry was referenced during a Weekend Update sketch on Saturday Night Live, with segment host Colin Jost referring to Haggis as "fugly as hell".^[11]

Haggis was described by Edinburgh Zoo's hoofstock team leader as Scotland's "own little ambassador" for pygmy hippos.^[3]

• List of individual hippopotamids
• Poppy, another pygmy hippo born in 2024