hippopotamus Archives - Animal Fact Guide

VIDEO: Baby Pygmy Hippo Born at Toronto Zoo!

Posted on September 8, 2026 by admin

A female baby pygmy hippo was born at Toronto Zoo on August 2. Photo by Toronto Zoo.

A female pygmy hippo calf was born at Toronto Zoo on August 2!

Within 15 minutes of her birth, the little baby hippo was trying to stand. And after a few hours, she was walking around her enclosure and nursing from her mother, Kindia.

The baby pygmy hippo, named Maple, is being cared for by her mama, Kindia. Photo by Toronto Zoo.

The baby, named Maple, is Kindia’s third calf. Kindia has been very attentive to the newborn, but the Toronto Zoo animal care team will still closely monitor Maple to ensure her healthy development.

Watch a video of Maple’s birth:

Pygmy hippopotamuses inhabit the forests and swamps of West Africa. They are endangered, with only 2000-3000 pygmy hippos alive in the wild. Threats include habitat loss and fragmentation as well as hunting.

Toronto Zoo animal care team monitoring pygmy hippo calf.

Maple is being monitored closely by the Toronto Zoo animal care team. Photo by Toronto Zoo.

Toronto Zoo works with other organizations in Ivory Coast to help understand pygmy hippos and figure out ways to protect them. If you would like to support the zoo in their conservation efforts, visit their website.

To learn more about hippos, see our article, Hippopotamus.

PHOTOS: Cute Baby Pygmy Hippo Born at Metro Richmond Zoo

Posted on December 30, 2024 by admin

Hip hippo hooray! A baby pygmy hippo was born at Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia on December 7. Photo credit: Metro Richmond Zoo.

The Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia welcomed an adorable baby pygmy hippo on December 7. She is the third calf for parents, Iris and Corwin, in 4.5 years.

Baby pygmy hippo with her mama, Iris. Photo credit: Metro Richmond Zoo.

This birth was special because it was the first time Iris gave birth underwater. Unlike common hippos, who usually give birth in the water, pygmy hippos can give birth either on land or in the water.

After the pygmy hippo was born, she and Iris were transferred to a hay-bedded enclosure off-exhibit so they could bond and nurse.

Pygmy hippo mama Iris and her new baby are staying in a hay-bedded enclosure off-exhibit to bond. Photo credit: Metro Richmond Zoo.

A five days old, veterinary staff at the zoo gave the baby hippo a neonatal exam. They determined the calf was healthy and growing quickly, weighing 15 lb. When pygmy hippos are adults, they can weigh up to 600 lb.!

The little baby pygmy hippo weighed 15 lb. at five days old, which is a healthy weight. Photo credit: Metro Richmond Zoo.

Pygmy Hippos in the Wild

In the wild, pygmy hippos are native to West Africa. They primarily live in forests near swamps, streams and rivers. They are solitary animals, unlike common hippopotamuses, which live in groups.

The IUCN Red List classifies pygmy hippopotamuses as endangered. The biggest threat they face is deforestation.

Vote on a Name

If you would like to help pick a name for the little hippo, you can vote on your favorite name here.

What do you think this baby pygmy hippo should be called? Photo credit: Metro Richmond Zoo.

To learn more about the baby pygmy hippo, visit the Metro Richmond Zoo website.

Read more about hippos at our animal facts page, Hippopotamus.

PHOTOS: Baby Animals from Taronga Western Plains Zoo

Posted on August 30, 2017 by admin

Come enjoy the baby animal cuteness from Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, Australia.

Rompin’ rhino! This black rhino calf, named Mesi, was born in April and has only recently gone on public display with her mom. Photo by Rick Stevens, Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

Mirror image: The two giraffe calves, born 1 week apart, check each other out. [Read more about Zuberi and Kibo.] Photo by Rick Stevens, Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

Kendi, a three-month-old hippo calf, soaks up the sun with her mom. Photo by Rick Stevens, Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

You can learn facts about these animals in our articles: Giraffe and Hippopotamus.

Year in Review: Baby Animals of 2014

Posted on December 29, 2014 by admin

This year, we fell in love with many new fuzzy faces and cuddly cuties. Here are a few of our favorite baby animals of 2014!

Best Peek-a-Boo: Nashville Zoo had a bounty of little kangaroo joeys popping up left and right this fall. Here’s one of them:

Photo by Aimee Stubbs / Nashville Zoo.

Cutest Yawn: Three male lion cubs were born at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle on October 24. We love the middle guy’s yawn! Spending 16-20 hours of the day sleeping or resting, lions are the laziest of the big cats. In the wild, they can be found lying on their backs with their feet up or taking a snooze up in a tree.

Photo by Photo by Dr. Darin Collins / Woodland Park Zoo.

Bounciest Baby: A baby klipspringer was born on March 30 at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. The term “klipspringer” is Afrikaans for “rock jumper”, and this little antelope sure does live up to her name!

Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.

Cutest Snout: Busch Gardens welcomed a Southern tamandua (or lesser anteater) on April 13. In the wild, tamanduas inhabit Central and South America.

Photo by Busch Gardens.

Best Belly Rolls: This little roly-poly hippo calf, born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, Australia on September 11, is just irresistible. In the wild, hippos live in sub-Saharan Africa. The hippopotamus is the second heaviest land mammal in the world!

Photo by Anthony Dorian / Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

Coziest Hug: The Memphis Zoo welcomed a male baby bonobo on April 28 named Mpingo (EM-pingo), which is a type of African tree. The wood from mpingo trees are used to make musical instruments, and so mpingos are sometimes referred to as “trees that make music”. According to Matt Thompson, Director of Animal Programs, “He certainly brings harmony and joy to the group.”

Photo by Laura Horn. Courtesy of Memphis Zoo.

We hope you enjoyed our roundup of adorable animal babies of 2014! Happy New Year!

Baby Hippo at Taronga Western Plains Zoo

Posted on September 16, 2014 by admin

A baby hippo was born on September 11 at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Photo by Anthony Dorian / Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

A baby hippo made its grand entrance at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, Australia. Born to mother Cuddles and father Mana on September 11, the calf weighs 40 kg. The sex of the newborn has yet to be determined by zoo staff.

“It’s very much early days still, so we are keeping a close eye on both mum and calf, but so far Cuddles is proving to be a good, attentive mother,” said Hippo Keeper, Carolene Magner.

She added, “Over the coming months we will start to see the calf grow and develop more and hopefully start to come out of the water with its mother at feed time.”

Photo by Anthony Dorian / Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

To learn more about the hippo calf, see the Taronga Western Plains Zoo website.

For more information about hippos, see our hippo facts article.

Featured Animal: Hippopotamus

Posted on July 1, 2014 by admin

Meet our featured animal: the hippopotamus!

Here are five fun facts about hippopotamuses:

The hippo is second heaviest land mammal in the world.
The body of the hippopotamus is well suited for aquatic life. Their eyes, ears and nostrils are located at the top of their head, so they are able to see, hear, and breathe while mostly submerged.
Due to their dense bodies, hippos do not swim. Instead, when in the water, they tap their feet along the ground to propel themselves.
When out of the water, hippos secrete a red-colored substance to cool their hairless skin. The secretion is referred to as ‘blood-sweat’ but is actually neither of those fluids.
As herbivores, they feed on short grass for six hours a night, consuming up to 68 kg (150 lb.) of food.

Learn more at our hippopotamus facts page!

Zoo Hippo on the Run in Montenegro

Posted on January 14, 2010 by admin

When a private zoo on a small island on Lake Skadar in Montenegro was flooded, Nikica, an 11-year old hippopotamus, seized the opportunity for freedom. As waters rose, she was able to bob to the top of her enclosure and escape. Though currently being tracked by zoo officials, the two-tonne hippo could pose a threat to people. Villagers have been warned to keep a safe distance. “When I left my house to feed my cow, I saw a hippo standing in front of the stall,” said a farmer, Nikola Radovic. “I thought I was losing my mind.”

Watch the video footage of Nikica here below.

For more info about the hippo escape, see The Times Online. For more stories of animal escapes, see our 2009 wrap-up of Great Animal Escapes.

To learn more about hippos, see Animal Fact Guide’s article: Hippopotamus.