A zoo in Virginia is celebrating the arrival of an adorable newborn pygmy hippo, which made it his debut Just before Christmas.
The baby hippo, a girl who has not yet been named, was born Dec. 9 at the Metro Richmond Zoo to parents Iris and Corwin. She is their third female calf under the age of five. The zoo said Iris was all smiles Christmas morning.
“Most people don't get a hippopotamus for Christmas, so we feel fortunate to have had two hippos over the past few years,” the zoo said. Iris and Corwin's previous calf born On December 6, 2022.
Metro Richmond Zoo via AP
Zoo officials said Iris gave birth to her latest newborn after a seven-month pregnancy. She gave birth in an indoor pool.
“The baby's natural instincts kicked in and she immediately started moving around in the water,” the zoo said on its website.
The mother and newborn are currently being kept in an enclosure that is not on display to provide them privacy during bonding.
“Iris is an experienced mother and is very protective of her calf,” the zoo said. “The calf is nursing and growing rapidly.”
The zoo said the new pygmy hippo was weighed when it was 5 days old and weighed 15 pounds. Its weight can increase up to 600 pounds.
Metro Richmond Zoo via AP
His birth will help preserve the species, which is endangered.
According to the zoo, there are fewer than 2,500 mature pygmy hippos left in the wild. The species is native to the swamps and rivers of West Africa, where it is threatened by poaching and habitat loss.
Pygmy hippos do not live in groups, so after growing up, Iris's two previous calves were moved to other zoological facilities “to live with future companions and continue to contribute to the conservation of their species,” the zoo said. Went.
This species is nocturnal, and the zoo says they can live up to 55 years.
Earlier this year, a newborn baby in Thailand was named Hippo Moo Deng became a global sensation When a zookeeper started sharing his cutest moments on social media.