Wildlife Park Lists Cute Steps to Get Baby Hippo to Come Inside at the End of the Day
Sometimes animals can be very stubborn, and animal babies and toddlers can be even more difficult to deal with. That is certainly the case for an adorable 3-month-old pygmy hippo named Latke, who loves to be outside and doesn't ever want to go back inside!
Located in Goddard, Kansas, Tanganyika Wildlife Park is where Latke calls home. He was born in December 2023 during Hannukah, which explains his cute name. On Monday, February 4th, the park shared a video of the 6-step process his trainers use to get him to go inside at the end of the day, and it'll make you smile!
Tanganyika Wildlife Park's video is just too cute! Where do I go to sign up for the baby hippo handler job because I want it! Commenters enjoyed the video too. @Lilac86 saved me a search because I was wondering the same thing she was, "I was wondering why it took 2 people to carry a baby hippo thinking maybe it was only 25-30 pounds. I googled and found out how wrong I was. 50-100 pounds!" @KuzmaHeather swooned, "The open mouth protest!!!" @PygmyGineraff wondered, "Do pygmy hippos make bloodsweat like big hippos? If so I'm surprised this doesn't look more like a game of hot potato cuz I imagine he'd be slippery!" and the park responded, "YES LOL!"
Related: Adorable Video of Baby Hippo Yawning Is Such a Treat to See
Facts About Pygmy Hippos
Latke's growing so fast! He looks small, but he'll get much bigger, and quickly. What makes pygmy hippos different than other hippos? If you guessed their size, you're right. Latke was only 13 pounds when he was born, but he'll grow to weigh between 400 and 600 pounds. The hippos that we are all think about when we think of hippos are called Nile hippos and are huge, and adult males weigh 3,500 - 9,900 pounds! Talk about a size difference that puts 'pygmy' into perspective!
Pygmy hippos are also endangered; there are only an estimated 2,500 left in the wild due to loss of habitat and destruction caused by humans. That makes Latke's birth even more special! And speaking of birth, Nile baby hippos are usually born in the water while pygmy hippos give birth on land. Interestingly enough, Nile hippos spend much more time in the water, too.
Pygmy hippos have visual differences that you might not notice unless you put one next to a Nile hippo. Nile hippos have webbed feet, but pygmy hippos have toes that are separated as well as sharp nails on their feet. Their heads are also shaped differently. If you look at the two different hippos head on, you'll see that the pygmy's eyes are on the sides of their heads rather on top of it like Nile hippos.
I'll be continuing to watch on as Latke grows and learns more about the world. There's nothing cuter than seeing a baby's 'firsts' and watching as they learn and explore!
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