Cuteness Quotient: Holly The Hippo Among Top 10 Zoo Babies

TAMPA, FL -- ZooTampa at Lowry Park fans don't need to be told twice that Holly Berry, the zoo's rare baby pygmy hippo, is about the cutest thing they've ever seen.

But now the entire country knows it.

USA Today published its list of the Top 10 cutest zoo babies from around the country for 2017, and Holly Berry was among the winners. Born in December weighing in at a healthy 35 pounds, she just made the 2017 cut-off for votes.

Holly Berry, named in a ZooTampa Facebook poll for the month she was born, is in good company. Other Top 10 cutest zoo babies were Tajiri the giraffe at the Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York; Calliope the howler money at New Orleans’ Audubon Zoo; emu chicks at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne; and Lulu the eastern black rhino at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

But move over, 2017 zoo babies. ZooTampa’s newest baby is sure to be a contender for 2018. On Tuesday, April 24, the zoo welcomed a yet-to-be-named baby siamang gibbon, born to first-time parents Hutan (mom) and Sensei (dad).

While you’re exploring USA Today’s cutest zoo babies, be sure to cast your vote for the Readers’ Choice awards for best zoo.

While ZooTampa didn’t make the list this year, Busch Gardens Tampa did, along with 19 other zoos.

Busch Gardens’ Animal Care Center and Observation Area also made the list of nominees for the best zoo exhibit.

Meanwhile, The Florida Aquarium is on the list of nominees for the best aquarium.

You can vote for Busch Gardens as the best zoo, the Busch Gardens Animal Care Center as the best zoo exhibitand The Florida Aquarium as the best aquarium in the country every day until April 30 at noon. The 10 winners in each category will be announced on Friday, May 4.

Images via ZooTampa at Lowry Park