Pygmy hippos are an endangered species native to the rivers and streams of West African forests. Less than 2,500 pygmy hippos live in the wild in Africa, but fortunately, a number of zoos around the world are caring for and breeding these curious creatures.
Recently, the San Diego Zoo saw its first successfully pygmy hippo birth in more than 30 years. Mabel, a 4-year-old pygmy hippopotamus at the San Diego Zoo, gave birth to her first calf last month, the zoo announced Friday. The calf hasn’t been named, but the zoo said it stood, walked, and followed its mother around within just a few hours of its birth.
The baby now weighs 25 pounds, up from the wee 12 pounds he weighed at birth. For anyone looking to see the new addition, though, they’ll have to wait about a month until he’s introduced to the main habitat, the zoo said.
