A baby pygmy hippo will be born at the Toronto Zoo

In July of 2024, the world was introduced to Moo Deng, the tiny baby pygmy hippo who instantly achieved meme status thanks to her ornery personality and undeniable rizz. Moo Deng chomped, screamed and scampered her way to fame, and fans travelled from far and wide to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand to get a glimpse of the petite moist creature. Now, it appears, Toronto could be on the verge of a Moo Deng–style phenomenon of our own.

Related: The Toronto Zoo is welcoming an adorable baby giraffe

Yesterday, the Toronto Zoo announced via Instagram that Kindia, the zoo’s 20-year-old pygmy hippo, is expecting a glossy potato-shaped calf of her own. According to the announcement, Kindia and the calf’s father, 31-year-old Harvey, needed only four days together in January to—ahem—summon the stork, who should be delivering a fresh pygmy hippo this July. Female pygmy hippos have a narrow fertile window, so the zoo was especially pleased to have been able to facilitate the hippos’ whirlwind romance.

As with many of the zoo’s breeding efforts, there’s a serious conservation story beneath the cuteness. Pygmy hippos are an endangered species, with only an estimated 3,000 remaining, which makes every pregnancy a big deal. Calf survival is far from guaranteed, so the zoo is proceeding with caution. Still, this isn’t Kindia’s first rodeo: in 2018, she gave birth to her first calf, Penelope, who is thriving.

Related: Here are some pictures of all the Toronto Zoo’s baby animals

The only question now is how long it will take before we get Moo Deng–style fan merch—and whether Toronto’s future viral sensation will get a name as good as Moo Deng, which translates to “bouncy pork.”