PREVIEW

Staff at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo are saying a fond farewell to one of its most famous residents, Haggis the pygmy hippo, with a special goodbye card.

During her time at the zoo, Haggis became an internet sensation — even featuring on NBC’s Saturday Night Live and prompting a public apology from BBC Radio 1 presenter Greg James after he jokingly called her “not cute” on air.

The young hippo is moving to another zoo this week as part of the breeding programme for this Endangered species.

In the wild, young pygmy hippos typically leave their parents at around one year old. As Haggis approaches her first birthday on 30 October, she has already begun to spend more time away from her mother, Gloria, and will now move on.

Jonny Appleyard, hoofstock team leader at Edinburgh Zoo, said: “Although we will be sad to see Haggis go, she is off to play her part in the breeding programme for this rare species. Pygmy hippos don’t reach sexual maturity until three to five years old, so it will be a while before she might have her own little one.

“Despite only being a year old, Haggis has been a wonderful little ambassador, connecting with our visitors and helping raise awareness of the challenges pygmy hippos face in the wild.”

Pygmy hippos are native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, mainly Liberia, and are listed as Endangered. It is estimated that only around 2,500 remain in the wild, primarily due to habitat loss.