Quick Take
- A rare pygmy hippopotamus birth occurred at an Arizona zoo in January 2026.
- Zoo staff decided to let the public select a name from a short list of candy-themed options.
- The Hershey Company got involved to lobby for one of the name options–Cadbury.
- The winning name was announced on February 23, 2026, on The Today Show.
On January 22, 2026, the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park in Arizona welcomed a baby pygmy hippopotamus. The proud parents? Mom Lollipop and Dad Tootsie Roll.
So, it was no surprise that when the Zoo decided to run a contest to name the cute new arrival, the theme would be candy-focused. What was surprising, though, was the level of excitement people–and one well-known candy company–showed in voting for the name.
What options could they choose from? Cadbury, Twixi, Jellybean, and Taffy. Voting was done by scanning a QR code outside the hippo exhibit at the Zoo.
Why Is this Baby’s Birth So Special?
Besides being undeniably cute, the new baby pygmy hippo’s arrival was special for another reason. The species is classified as endangered on the IUCN’s Red List. Fewer than 2,500 individuals are believed to exist in the wild.
These miniature (relatively speaking) hippos are facing a number of threats in the wild. Native to West African forests, their natural habitats are being destroyed due to deforestation from logging, mining, and agricultural expansion. There is also the continuous threat of illegal poaching.
Pygmy hippos are classified as endangered, with fewer than 2,500 known to exist in the wild.
When it comes to size, the name “pygmy” is a bit of a misnomer. Adult pygmy hippos weigh around 550 pounds. This puts them in the same weight category as male lions. The “pygmy” part of the name is primarily a way to differentiate this species from its cousin, the much larger hippopotamus. In fact, pygmy hippos are about one-tenth the size of their non-pygmy counterparts.
Arizona’s baby pygmy hippo weighed just 11 pounds at birth, but was up to 33 pounds at her mid-February veterinary check-in. Zoo vets expect her to reach between 350 and 600 pounds when she’s fully grown.
Pygmy hippos tend to live a loner lifestyle in the rivers and swamps of the dense forest areas they call home. They’re also only active at night and don’t make a lot of noise. This makes it difficult for scientists to study them in the wild. Much of the research done to date on pygmy hippos has happened in zoos around the world.
How Many Pygmy Hippos Are Born In Zoos?
There are fewer than a dozen pygmy hippo births per year in zoos around the world. Part of the reason is that zoo populations of this endangered species are mostly female. There are males, but not nearly as many. Also, the species is highly solitary by nature and quite picky when it comes to breeding. All of these factors make every single baby pygmy hippo birth in captivity a very important event that is closely watched.
The newest baby pygmy hippo in Arizona follows the much-publicized arrival of Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo born at a Thai zoo in July 2024. When the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand introduced Moo Deng to the public, the baby quickly went viral.
There are fewer than a dozen baby pygmy hippo births each year in zoos around the world.
©Jonah Goh/Shutterstock.com
She “appeared” on Saturday Night Live, inspired an iconic line of gifts, and has millions of viewers on TikTok. Zoo attendance numbers also shot up after her birth, with thousands of daily visitors clamoring to catch a glimpse of the viral sensation.
It remains to be seen if the Arizona Zoo’s new baby pygmy hippo will also enjoy the same viral fame. The competition around its name may provide a clue.
How One Candy Company Took Competition To Another Level
As Zoo visitors pondered the possible name options and cast their vote by QR code at the Zoo’s hippo exhibit, one candy company leaped into the action.
Given the shortlist of names for the new arrival, it wasn’t surprising that it was the chocolate maker Hershey’s that got involved. One of their brands is, of course, Cadbury, and one of the most famous Cadbury products is its creme-filled Easter eggs.
The Hershey Company, makers of the famous Cadbury Creme Egg, lobbied hard to have Cadbury selected for the new baby pygmy hippo.
©Rachel Laughman Art/Shutterstock.com
Hershey’s went all out, including flying banners over the zoo asking visitors to “Vote for Cadbury @ Wildlife World Zoo.” The company also promised that if the name Cadbury was chosen, the new arrival would be designated the official Cadbury Easter Bunny and be the star of her own commercial.
Did Hershey’s Efforts Win the Day?
The public cast thousands of votes, but at the end of the day it was a blowout decision. The winning name of the baby pygmy hippo was officially announced on the Today Show via a live stream name reveal from the Zoo.
The official name for the zoo’s newest pygmy hippo is…
Jellybean!
Jellybean is the perfect name for this sweet new arrival.
The winning name received 81.3 percent of the votes, with Cadbury coming in a distant second with just 7.3 percent of the votes.
Probably the right outcome for a species that prefers to shun the spotlight.
You can visit Jellybean, Lollipop, and Tootsie Roll at the Zoo’s hippopotamus exhibit. The Zoo is open year-round and offers seasonal hours that vary slightly throughout the year.
