LITCHFIELD PARK, AZ — Move over, Moo Deng! It's Jellybean's time to shine!
Jellybean is the tiny pygmy hippo with the big personality who is making an even bigger splash at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium, and Safari Park in Litchfield Park.
Recently, ABC15's Nick Ciletti and some members of our ABC15 family ventured to Wildlife World to meet Jellybean and learn more about her mission of spreading awareness - and it all started with meeting some of her furry friends, causing quite the com-moooo-tion!
Hey, don't have a cow! But if you do, make sure it involves meeting (and loving on) one of the three baby highland cows at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium, and Safari Park. The three are all part of the zoo's Mini Moooornings, where guests can enjoy brunch and get to interact with their new cow pals!
It's continuing every Saturday and Sunday (including the 4th of July weekend) for the rest of the month from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Guests also get a ticket to come back to the zoo another day. To learn more, click here.
Little Colter had one thing on his mind when he met our ABC15 crew over the weekend at the Zoo.
"Cows!"
He and his mom were hard to miss, clad in their cow attire, ready to meet their new furry friends.
"It was a team effort," explained Danielle Hinderliter, with Wildlife World Zoo, about how the zoo came up with the idea to mix brunch with bovines.
The event started in June and has been a big hit with brunch and animal lovers alike!
"I love it, and I love seeing him love the cows. It's great!" said Colter's mom.
"When you have those personal connections, it makes you want to help conserve and protect them out in their natural habitats," explained Hinderliter.
That's exactly what they're hoping happens with the next special guest we met on our tour - talk about a hungry, hungry hippo!
"She's really a lap hippo, but maybe grown too big to do that!" said Hinderliter about Wildlife World's biggest celeb: Jellybean, the endangered baby pygmy hippo.
Born in January, Jellybean has become a viral sensation, especially after Wildlife World opened up a naming contest to make sure she had a name that was just as sweet as she is.
"Jellybean has quite a big personality. She's a great ambassador for pygmy hippos all over the world," Hinderliter said. "With all the popularity she has brought to Wildlife World Zoo, it's huge for the species because it brings awareness to pygmy hippos, which are critically endangered."
According to the World Wildlife Fund, fewer than 2,500 pygmy hippos live in the wild. Experts say their numbers continue to dwindle because of things like deforestation, mining, farming, and poaching.
For Buckeye native Joshua, learning about these precious animals - and getting to see them up close with his son - not only creates a call to action, but also lasting memories.
"I loved animals as a kid," says Joshua. "I want to share that with my son. I used to come here all the time as a kid, so I'm happy to bring him."
To learn more about pygmy hippos and ways to protect them, click here.
