These days, the one joy on the positioning formerly generally known as Twitter could also be Moo Deng, the infant pygmy hippo born into the world this July Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand.
Chubby and rambunctious, like a fast-moving potato on far-too-short legs, Moo Deng – whose name means “jumping pork” – entertained the web with a video of the little hippo harassing his patient mother by taking a garden hose It rained and angrily chewed all the things in sight with its bulging teeth. If ever star power may very well be condensed right into a small mammal resembling a bug-eyed larva, it’s Moo Deng.
There aren't many small pygmy hippos here within the San Francisco Bay Area. But we’ve got quite a lot of zoos and wildlife centers with their very own animal celebrities. They will not be as cute or young as Moo Deng – heck, they're possibly 140 years older – but they're fun and engaging in their very own way.
Here are seven local alternatives to Moo Deng to tide you over until you get that plane ticket to fly to Thailand:
1. Shower
Showers is a male northern fur seal pup who was rescued in San Luis Obispo County this September. The 15-pound creature is currently undergoing treatment Marin's Marine Mammal Centerwhich feeds him a blended mixture of ground herring and “fish smoothie” until he’s healthy enough for release. “The male pup gets along well with other fur seal mates of the same age, although he is still a little hesitant to spend time in the rehabilitation pool,” said Giancarlo Rulli, the middle’s deputy director of public relations.
Visiting the Marine Mammal Center, open Friday through Monday at 2000 Bunker Road in Fort Cronkhite within the Marin Headlands, is free, but you have to reserve a ticket at www.marinemammalcenter.org. Due to his rehabilitation, there will not be showers, but there are television broadcasts of rehab patients and views of other rescued marine mammals from the statement deck.
2. OJ
OJ, the Aldabra tortoise is the oldest resident on the planet Oakland Zoo And although at over 140 years old he has lived for much longer than Moo Deng, OJ has his own charm. “OJ is the loudest of the three big males and is particularly vocal in the morning,” says Isabella Linares, marketing manager for the Conservation Society of California. “You often find him in the night house, looking out the window. We think he would enjoy watching the audience since Aldabra tortoises have good color vision.”
The Oakland Zoo had one other contender for Moo Deng status – Briar, a rescued mountain lion cub, however the little lion was deemed too needy. It can't even keep its tongue in its mouth:
Visit OJ, Briar and their animal neighbors on the Oakland Zoo, open each day at 9777 Golf Links Road. Ticket prices vary and should be purchased prematurely at www.oaklandzoo.org.
3. Lord Richard
Lord Richard is one other ancient yet magnetic being who hails from the region Lindsay Wildlife Experience at Walnut Creek. He's a 50-year-old turkey vulture – the oldest known of his species – and was once considered male…until he laid an egg. Then the zookeepers conducted a test and determined that biologically it was a male, so nobody remains to be sure where the egg got here from. Lord Richard has imprinted himself on humans and doesn't get along well with other vultures, but he takes great pleasure in entertaining crowds in his perch by looking like something grumpy from the Hayao Miyazaki universe.
The wildlife center is at 1931 First Ave. Wednesday through Sunday. opened in Walnut Creek. Tickets are $15 to $17; lindsaywildlife.org.
4. Little Mebo
Little Mebo is a one-year-old, critically endangered female red panda San Francisco Zoo and Gardens'Red Panda Treehouse. Little Mebo enjoys chewing on bamboo, climbing things, and more Find friends on Instagram. One fan wrote: “She is so adorable and so tiny!!! Hello Mebo!!! and their little paws.”
The zoo is open each day on the corner of Sloat Boulevard on the Great Highway in San Francisco. Tickets are $20 to $31; www.sfzoo.org.
5-6. Vangy and Vaky
Vangy and Vaky are katta brothers at San Jose Happy Hollow Park & Zoo. At 28 and 27, they’re of their golden years and living their best lives – often seen sunbathing, napping together, or having fun with a few of their favorite treats.
“I would say they are generally very laid back, and that gives them their own star power,” says Caitlin O'Hara, the zoo's conservation and communications manager. “Maybe not quite Moo Deng energy, but they're very likeable and memorable in their own way, and pretty darn adorable too.”
Happy Hollow is open each day through October and choose days in November at 748 Story Road in San Jose. Tickets are $18; happyhollow.org.
7. Lumpy
Lumpy is a 5-foot-long Pacific gopher snake and a coastal “animal ambassador.” Sunol Wilderness Regional Preservewhere it leads a quiet life behind glass. Gopher snakes are nonvenomous constrictors, meaning they hunt not by biting things but by draining the life from them. Lumpy's name probably comes from the bumps it gets after eating mice. When threatened, these reptiles shake their tails like rattlesnakes, but that's about as dangerous because it gets. Interesting fact: Del Valle Regional Park also has a gopher snake that acts as an animal ambassador: Julius Squeezer.
The park is open each day; The visitor center is open Friday through Sunday. The center is partially under construction and Lumpy will not be visible, but might be removed during conversations with naturalists. Visit www.ebparks.org for more information.
image credit : www.mercurynews.com