In Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, the hippopotamus who courts Gloria is Moto Moto.
Moto Moto is a confident male hippopotamus whom Gloria meets after the animals arrive in Africa. His exaggerated charm and comic self-confidence create a romantic subplot that contrasts with Melman’s quieter feelings for Gloria.
The storyline helps develop Gloria and Melman as characters. Gloria is attracted to Moto Moto at first, but she eventually recognizes the depth of Melman’s devotion. The film presents the situation as a family-friendly comedy about attraction, insecurity, and discovering which relationship is genuine.
Moto Moto is not one of the original New York zoo animals. Melman is the giraffe who has known Gloria for years, while Makunga is a lion connected to Alex’s family and the pride. Those similarly short names make the characters easy to confuse when recalling the sequel.