Christmas came early at the Zoo with the birth of a rare baby in an adorable pygmy package! After closely monitoring pregnant pygmy hippo, Zsa Zsa, and singing “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” all through November, an endangered pygmy hippopotamus was born in the early morning on Dec. 1, 2017.
Weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs., this bundle of Christmas joy weighs about nine pounds. This new addition not only adorable but incredibly important for the future of this endangered species. According to the IUCN, the Pygmy hippopotamus is listed as an endangered species in its natural environment with less than 3,000 left in the wild.
“Pygmy hippos are elusive and extremely rare in the wild with only a few thousand thought to be left in the world,” said General Curator, Christ Massaro. “We’re one of only 13 zoos in the United States to care for this elusive and unique species so this birth is especially important for us and the entire pygmy hippo population.”
The Zoo plans on announcing the gender of the new addition with a special gender reveal. More news on the name of the calf will be revealed in the coming weeks. You can see the Pygmy hippo calf in its habitat in Ituri Forest located in Safari Africa.
If you’re feeling low or stressed, we are sure the newest Zoo baby can cure your blues. We mean, have you seen that face?! And if you can’t get enough of the new baby, Pay for a Day and come back the rest of 2017 and 2018 free! To take advantage of this special offer, click —- (pay for a day link)
