Shasta the liger was a worldwide sensation and came into this world weighing just 2 pounds.
People came from all over the world to the Hogle Zoo to see this half-lion and half-tiger.
While not the only liger in the world, she was the only American cub, and her fame soon grew not long after her birth on May 6, 1948.
She lived for 24 years, and for a time, she was on display in a glass enclosure at the zoo.
But Shasta is not the only world-famous baby zoo animal. Fiona the hippo was a big hit several years ago — and now a new baby pygmy hippo is following in her footsteps.
The public’s fascination with baby zoo animals
Fiona the hippopotamus at the Cincinnati Zoo also became world famous, but more recently.
Her antics, captured on video, captured the hearts of an adoring public made up of millions of people.
Fiona was born six weeks early in 2017 and was in critical care because she could not stand and nurse from her mother.
Thanks to #teamfiona, she made a recovery and is a darling, landing on the pages of The New York Times and having her own show. In 2017, she was Time magazine’s person of the year. Her caretakers joke that she puts the “fat” in infatuation.
A new star is born
Mars is a pygmy hippo born at the Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas.
Mars was born June 26 and soon gained a faithful following due to his playful antics. His parents are Posie and Pluto.
Lynnlee Schmidt, chief operating officer of the wildlife park, said Mars has an email fan club of 15,000 people and has been featured on “Good Morning America” and ABC’s “World News Tonight.”
He is the fifth pigmy hippo to be born at the park. Mars’ birth sparked 40 million views through global headlines.
Mars started a baby boom at the park, with three giraffe calves born within six weeks of each other. Another calf was recently born.
Each of them have their own distinct personalty. One, in fact, is called Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for his habit of chewing on rocks.
Even though they stand 5 feet, 7 inches generally and weigh around 140 pounds, the giraffe calves are curious and often friendly to visitors.
As adults in the wild, they have few natural predators — other than lions — due to their sheer size and powerful kicks.
Schmidt said there is a natural draw between humans and these animals.
“It is in my DNA. For us it is seeing the moments of connection between people and the animal. We call them wow moments. You are reminded that the world is a big place and we are just part of it.”