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.
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.
There was an abundance of adorable baby animals born or rescued in 2024. Here are a few highlights of the cutest babies:
Best Baby Mustache
As you can imagine, this was a competitive category, but the best baby mustache goes to Uki, a baby Pacific walrus rescued in Alaska by the Alaska SeaLife Center and SeaWorld Orlando.
Photo by Alaska SeaLife Center / Courtesy SeaWorld Orlando.
Leggiest Duo
The award for leggiest duo goes to this pair of giraffe calves born at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo to mothers Asmara and Zane on September 14 and 20 this year.
Photo by Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
Fluffiest Fuzzball
The fluffiest fuzzball title goes to the Chilean flamingo chicks hatched at the Lincoln Park Zoo in August.
Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.
Rough-n-Tumbliest Baby
The rough-n-tumbliest award goes to this boisterous baby black rhino, shown here romping with his mother, Mesi. The calf was born at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in August.
Photo credit: Hayley Brooks, Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
Pokiest Baby
This baby North American porcupine takes the title as the pokiest baby. The porcupette was the first ever porcupine to be delivered via C-section at the San Diego Zoo.
Photo credit: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Teeniest Slither
The title of teeniest slither goes to this tiny baby gartersnake born at the Arizona Center for Nature Conservation (ACNC)/Phoenix Zoo and released along with 24 others to the wild this September in an ongoing effort to bolster the population.
Photo credit: Phoenix Zoo.
Best Hugger
The award for best hugger goes to Scout, the baby two-toed sloth at the Roger Williams Park Zoo, pictured here cuddling with a favorite stuffie.
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.
