RICHMOND, Va. — The poll that will decide the name of the new pygmy hippopotamus at the Metro Richmond Zoo has been narrowed down to two choices.
The zoo originally gave voters four names to choose from. Since none of those names received 50% of the vote, voters can now pick between the top two choices, Poppy and Hammie Mae.
The hippo was born Dec. 9 to pygmy hippo parents Iris and Corwin.
WATCH: Pygmy hippo parents welcome baby girl born at Virginia zoo
Poppy is a flower name, similar to Iris, while Hammie Mae is a tie to Virginia ham.
The final round of voting ends on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 11:59 p.m. The official name will be announced on Monday, Jan. 6.
In the first round, the zoo said they received 52,794 votes which came in from more than 100 countries.
"The naming poll is purely for fun and is intended to engage our community by raising awareness for this endangered species. We will be happy with either name winning," a zoo spokesperson said. "It’s time for the showdown of the century… Poppy vs. Hammie Mae."
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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