Berlin Zoo’s newest pygmy hippo calf made his public debut Thursday, a day after his name, Toni, inspired by German soccer star Antonio Rüdiger, was chosen from more than 20,000 suggestions.
Toni was born on June 3rd.
Berlin’s new pygmy hippo makes his debut, with a name inspired by a football star
The zoo sought suggestions for the baby’s name and reviewed thousands of names over the past few weeks.
Zoo director Andreas Knieriem said he initially leaned toward traditional Berlin names like Boulettchen, which translates as “little meatball,” but the little hippo’s popularity on social media and the many name proposals suggested he would become “a real global star.”
“We wanted to take this development into account with a short and concise name that also works outside of Berlin,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.
Rüdiger, a Berlin native who plays for Real Madrid and Germany, agreed to become the animal’s honorary patron (or, as the zoo puts it, “trainer”), sealing the deal for “Toni.”
Debbie bred previous litters in 2004, 2007 and 2008.
The zoo has been breeding the species since 1921, when it says this was the first time this happened in Europe.
Pygmy hippos are an endangered species with fewer than 2,500 adults left in Ivory Coast, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the zoo said.
They are already extinct in Nigeria and face significant habitat loss as West African forests are cleared for mining and agricultural use, he added.
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