Earlier this month, the Advocate posted an article announcing the name and gender of the Dallas Zoo’s newest addition, Kalo the baby hippopotamus.
While we expected a rousing response to the hippo announcement, we may have underestimated just how excited our neighbors, and the online fandom dedicated to baby hippos, would be about the news.
A quick look at Google Trends shows that in 2022, the search term “baby hippo” reached an all time high. In fact, searches for “baby hippo” were up 23% from 2017, which had previously held the record for the year with the most “baby hippo” searches.
And it’s no wonder why. CNN listed Fritz and Fiona, two hippos born at the Cincinnati Zoo who have gained twitter fame and have merchandise, as one of the biggest stories of 2022.
So the Advocate realized Kalo is not just any ordinary baby animal at the Zoo. Kalo is a baby hippo joining the leagues of baby hippo celebrity. And celebrities should be interviewed.
Kalo is a lady in high demand, but the Advocate managed to snag some time with a Dallas Zoo spokesperson who gave some insight into the life of a little hippo in the spotlight.
The song goes ‘I want a hippopotamus for Christmas’, but did Kalo ask for anything this Christmas?
“Kalo wished for temperatures back above 40 degrees so she can spend more time on habitat! This new hippo calf had just started spending more time with mom out in the habitat, so she’s looking forward to getting back in there to explore the sandy beach and the 120,000-gallon pool.”
Many of our readers have already speculated about a potential budding romance between Kalo and Fritz from the Cincinnati zoo. Does Kalo have anything to say about the rumors?
How is Kalo finding the spotlight now that she is on habitat at the zoo?
What sorts of things does Kalo enjoy to unwind and relax from the pressures of being a baby hippo celebrity?
What is one message Kalo would like to give to her fans going into the New Year?