Taronga Zoo is abuzz as its rare newborn baby pygmy hippopotamus makes her first public debut, with mum supporting alongside.
Born on Feb. 21 to first-time parents Fergus and Kambiri, the calf is thriving according to Taronga Zoo Senior Keeper Renae Moss. “She’s putting on weight every day and she’s already got little rolls of fat around her neck.”
This is great news for the endangered species, as she is the zoo’s first birth since mum Kambiri seven years ago.
Native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, “These elusive animals continue to be threatened by loss of habitat as their forest homes are logged and converted to farmland at an alarming rate. They are also vulnerable to poaching, hunting, and civil unrest and their wild populations continue to decline.
“Protecting their natural habitat is critical in ensuring the survival of wild populations,” said Moss.
“There are fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos left in the wild. So every hippo born in a zoo helps to ensure that this population continues on into the future,” she said.
You can try to catch a glimpse of mum and calf on Taronga Zoo’s Rainforest Trail in Sydney. A competition will be held soon to help choose a name for the new addition.
(Reuters)
