When it comes to gender reveal parties, we’ve seen some pretty odd ones – including gender reveal lasagnes.
But one couple has blown all of the other ones out of the water, by getting a pygmy hippo involved in their baby celebration.
The expectant parents, Bridgette and Jonathan Joseph, have gone viral on social media this week after a video of their unique gender reveal was shared.
Posted to Tik Tok, the couple can be seen in the clip throwing a watermelon into a hippo’s mouth at the Capital of Texas Zoo in Austin.
(Image: xyssa.jada/Tiktoc)
(Image: xyssa.jada/Tiktoc)
The mum and dad-to-be had filled the watermelon with coloured jelly, so when Tank the hippo bites into the fruit, everyone discovers whether they are having a boy or a girl.
And as Tank chows down, the watermelon explodes to show the inside is blue, so it’s a boy.
Jonathan is overjoyed by the news and can be heard proclaiming “YES! YES! Thank god!”
The video was posted to Twitter by filmmaker Ana Breton, who said: “I did it. I found the worst gender reveal.”
Her tweet garnered over 162,000 likes and more than 31,000 retweets, with many people sharing their thoughts.
One person replied: “I just hate whenever it’s a boy and the parents go ‘thank god’.”
Another wrote: “OMG seriously WTF is wrong with people?”
A third added: “Older millennials are horrible.”
Following backlash to the video, Ana spoke with Bridgette about the video and why the couple chose to do it this way.
She explained: “This was one of the happiest days of our lives.
“With the help of the zoo and the amazing Tank the hippo, we learned that we are having a baby boy.
“After many years of raising our beautiful young lady, we decided to try for another baby. It took some time and some extra money in fertility treatments, but we finally got pregnant!
“We would have been over the moon just the same to have another girl, but would have had to keep trying for a boy, and it could have got very expensive.
“I want to experience the mother-son relationship so badly.”
She added: “I am filled with joy to learn that we got out baby boy! Can’t wait to meet him.
“Also, for anyone that is concerned for the hippo and his well-being, he has been hand raised by his amazing owner, who assisted us in feeding him only food that is safe for him to consume… organic Jell-O inside the watermelon… and yes, Tank was more than happy to have the treat.”
