Haggis the pygmy hippo leaves Edinburgh Zoo ahead of first birthday

Haggis the pygmy hippo has left Edinburgh Zoo, months after her arrival made her an internet sensation.

She has now arrived at her new home at Wingham Wildlife Park, where she will also be celebrating her first birthday.

Haggis was born to parents Otto and Gloria in Edinburgh last October, hot on the heels of global star Moo Deng, of Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand.

Haggis went on to also take the internet by storm and quickly became a favourite among visitors.

She has now been transferred to the park in Kent, where she will be part of a breeding programme for the endangered species.

Edinburgh Zoo gave Haggis a farewell card RZSS via SWNS

However, Pygmy hippos don’t reach sexual maturity until three to five years old, so it will be a while before she might have her own little one.

There are less than 2,500 pygmy hippos left in the wild. They are native to the forests and swamps of West Africa with their primary habitat being Liberia.

Smaller populations also exist in countries like Sierra Leone, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast.

Announcing the arrival of the queen of side eye, Wingham Wildlife Park said: “We were thrilled to welcome precious pygmy hippo Haggis on Tuesday night, and she has been settling in beautifully after her long journey from Edinburgh Zoo.

“Haggis has joined us as part of the breeding program for her species, and today is a double celebration- as not only are we celebrating Haggis’s arrival, but today is also her very first birthday.”