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Zoo Berlin named its new baby pygmy hippo Brötchen, meaning “bread roll,” due to her small, round shape
German star and TV personality Enie van de Meiklokjes is the honorary sponsor of Brötchen
Fewer than 2,500 adult pygmy hippos remain in the wild, making Brötchen’s birth a significant moment for conservation
The world has a new baby hippo to obsess over!
Zoo Berlin officially introduced its newest pygmy hippo on Wednesday, June 10, revealing the baby animal has been named Brötchen, which translates to “bread roll” in German. The tiny female hippo is already drawing comparisons to the beloved Moo Deng, the Thai baby pygmy hippo who became a global sensation in 2024.
Brötchen’s zoo decided on her name because the round animal resembles a bread roll.
Enie van de Meiklokjes and a man crouched down with Brötchen the pygmy hippo
Credit: Zoo Berlin
The zoo’s director, Dr. Andreas Knieriem, leaned into the moment. “Naming animals after food items currently seems to be a popular internet trend,” he said in a statement.
According to the zoo’s announcement, Brötchen was born on May 9, already weighs nearly 45 pounds, and has been exploring her outdoor enclosure alongside her mother, Debbie. Brötchen’s milestone trip outdoors occurred just one month after her birth, notably earlier than her older sister Toni, who didn’t venture outside until she was over 2 months old.
The little hippo also has a high-profile fan: German baking personality Enie van de Meiklokjes has taken on honorary sponsorship of Brötchen.
Enie van de Meiklokjes and a man smiling next to a wooden tub containing a bathing Brötchen
Credit: Zoo Berlin
“Zoo, Tierpark and Aquarium Berlin are very important institutions in our capital city for me,” van de Meiklokjes said. “It is all the more wonderful to now be part of it myself.”
Brötchen’s arrival marks a critical moment for her species. Pygmy hippos are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with fewer than 2,500 adults remaining in the wild across parts of West Africa, including Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. In Nigeria, the animal is already extinct. Their primary threat is habitat loss driven by deforestation for mining and agriculture.
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Thanks to the popularity of Toni, Brötchen’s older sister, Zoo Berlin raised more than $6,000 in a 2024 charity auction for pygmy hippo conservation efforts in Sierra Leone.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source uk.style.yahoo.com ’
