Newborn endangered pygmy hippo is seen in public for the first time
On March 17th in Sydney Australia, a shy new resident followed her mother into their new home, the Taronga Zoo.
The currently unnamed pygmy hippo appears to be settling in nicely and loves to go for swims with her mother, Kambiri. Born on February 21st, the calf is the first pygmy hippo to be born at the Taronga Zoo since 2010. Newborns of this species weigh in at just 10 to 14 lbs, about the size of a small dog or cat! These adorable cousins to the hippo are nocturnal and very secretive so most of what we know about them has been learned by studying them in captivity. The pygmy hippo is not considered aggressive but can be very territorial when it comes to their enclosure.
Unfortunately the pygmy hippo is endangered with an estimated 2-3,000 remaining in the wild. The majority of the species can be found in Liberia, while smaller groups can be found in Sierra Leone, Guinea and the Ivory Coast. Dwindling numbers can be attributed to the destruction of their natural habitat for logging and over-hunting for meat.
Check out the adorable newborn below:
