Photo shows baby hippo in US zoo, not newborn calf in Thailand
- Published on November 5, 2024 at 08:39
- 3 min read
- By Pasika KHERNAMNUOY, AFP Thailand
Copyright © AFP 2017-2024. Any commercial use of this content requires a subscription. Click here to find out more.
"The name 'Hom Daeng' suits her the best," read part of the Thai-language caption to a photo that was shared more than 33,000 times after being posted on X on October 30, 2024.
It was shared days before a public vote closed on what to name a hippo born at the Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park Zoo in Si Sa Ket province on October 13 (archived links here and here).
The name Hom Daeng -- "red onion" in Thai -- beat out the other four choices in the public poll, the zoo announced on November 1 (archived link).
The same photo was shared alongside similar claims elsewhere on X here and here.
It was also shared on the official X account of "Moo Deng" -- the endangered baby pygmy hippo at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo whose success the Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park Zoo appears to be trying to replicate (archived link).
Ticket sales at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo have quadrupled since Moo Deng's birth, with her cheeky antics securing her social media stardom as well as inspiring merch, memes and even craft tutorials on how to make crocheted or cake-based Moo Dengs at home (archived link).
The image circulating online, however, does not show Hom Daeng.
Cincinnati Zoo's Fritz
A reverse image search on Google led to a similar image posted on the verified Facebook account of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden on September 1, 2022 (archived link).
The image falsely shared online has been mirrored from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden photo.
Below is a screenshot comparison between the false post (left) and the September 2022 photo (right):
"Fritz is cute and he knows it," read part of the zoo's photo caption.
According to the Cincinnati Zoo website, Fritz was born on August 3, 2022 and his name was also chosen after a public vote (archived link).
The Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park Zoo has posted dozens of photos and videos of Hom Daeng on its official Facebook page.
Is there content that you would like AFP to fact-check? Get in touch.
Contact us
