GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — John Ball Zoo's most recent bundle of joy now has a name.
After a public naming contest that started just after the baby pygmy hippo was born, the winning name turned out to be: Hugo.
John Ball Zoo
The name means smart and spirited, according to the zoo.
Hugo was born September 3 to mom Penelope and dad Jahari. He is the first pygmy hippo ever born at John Ball Zoo, weighing in at 11 pounds when he was born.
Fewer than 2,500 pygmy hippos are believed to live in the wild, so conservation efforts at zoos across the world help provide a better chance the species survives.
Hugo and Penelope remain behind the scenes for now, but the zoo promised in a social media post that they will make their public debuts later this month.
