Who is Jelly Bean? Meet baby pygmy hippo with new virus at Arizona zoo

Earlier this week, Arizona’s Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium and Wildlife Park announced the newborn pygmy hippoBorn on January 22, his original name is Jellybean.

The name won with 81.3% of the vote, beating other candy-themed names such as Cadbury, Twixi and Taffy. Zoo President Kristy Hayden introduced Jellybean on the “Today” show on Feb. 23, holding the calf on her lap as the hosts cheered.

Also read: Moo Deng turns one: Inside the viral baby pygmy hippo’s first birthday

According to TODAY, Jellybean weighed 11 pounds at birth and had grown to 33 pounds when last reported. Pygmy hippos can eventually weigh 350 to 600 pounds.

Jelly Bean arrived with her mother, Lollipop, at the Arizona Wildlife World Zoo in Litchfield Park, about 20 miles outside of Phoenix. Zoo officials hope the Jellybean’s popularity will raise awareness of the species’ conservation needs.

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Commenters on the Reuters post joked that Jellybean was the “American Moo Deng,” or the next big social media star.

After the BBC video went viral, users joked that Jellybean would be the next trend penguin documentaries and punch,monkey. The macaque became an internet star after being shown clinging to a stuffed orangutan for comfort at Japan’s Ichikawa Zoo.

“After penguins and punch, we have hippos!” read one comment, while another wrote: “If Jellybean isn’t going to carry around a stuffed hippo, we won’t be interested.”