SAN DIEGO, Ca. – - Pygmy hippos are an endangered species, but in April, one was born at the San Diego Zoo. It was the zoo's first successful pygmy hippo birth in more than 30 years.
Mabel, a 4-year-old pygmy hippopotamus at the San Diego Zoo, gave birth to her first calf last month, the zoo announced Friday.
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The calf hasn't been named, but the zoo said it stood, walked and followed its mother around within just a few hours of its birth.
"Mom and calf are doing very well," the zoo said in a statement. "The calf is nursing and getting lots of attention from the first-time mother."
Pygmy hippos typically reside in rivers and streams of West African forests, according to the zoo. Less than 2,500 pygmy hippos live in Africa, the zoo said.
The baby now weighs 25 pounds, up from the wee 12 pounds he weighed at birth.
For anyone looking to see the new addition, though, they’ll have to wait about a month until he’s introduced to the main habitat, the zoo said.
Endangered Pygmy Hippo Calf Born at the San Diego ZooWhat better day than Endangered Species Day to announce the birth of our first successful pygmy hippo calf in 30 years!? Congrats to first-time mom, Mabel. Every birth brings hope to this endangered species, but today is also a day for celebrating all that YOU continue to do for the wildlife in our care and worldwide. https://www.endextinction.org/CelebratingYou 🌎
Posted by San Diego Zoo on Friday, May 15, 2020