Toronto Zoo Welcomes Female Pygmy Hippo Calf as Wild Population Falls to 2,000-3,000
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 5
Toronto Zoo Welcomes Female Pygmy Hippo Calf as Wild Population Falls to 2,000-3,000
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 5
Summary
Toronto Zoo said Kindia, a 20-year-old pygmy hippo, gave birth to a female calf last Sunday after about 1.5 hours of active labor; the newborn is her third calf.
Within 15 minutes, the calf was trying to stand, was moving confidently within hours and was seen nursing about 4.5 hours after birth, with the zoo saying both mother and calf are doing well.
The pregnancy followed an eight-day introduction in January to Harvey, a 31-year-old male pygmy hippo, and staff said they are monitoring the pair around the clock because calf survival in the species can be difficult.
Only about 2,000 to 3,000 pygmy hippos remain in the wild, the zoo said, with habitat loss and human pressures across West Africa driving the endangered species' decline.