Toronto Zoo welcomes newborn pygmy hippo to its family
A female pygmy hippo gave birth at the Toronto Zoo on Sunday, and the calf quickly began moving around its enclosure.
On Sunday morning, the Toronto Zoo reported the birth of a pygmy hippo calf to a 20-year-old mother, Kindia. The infant was observed walking within minutes and was confidently navigating its enclosure a short time after. This marks the third calf for Kindia, and staff are closely supervising the mother-calf bond to ensure the youngster's survival.
Dolf DeJong, the zoo's chief executive, noted that the event is noteworthy because pygmy hippos face threats from habitat loss. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that only about 2,000 to 3,000 individuals remain in the wild. Visitors will not yet see the calf as it remains under careful observation. The birth follows previous public interest in a Thai zoo's pygmy hippo, Moo Deng, which became a social-media favorite.
Why it matters
The birth adds to a rare captive population of an endangered species with only a few thousand left in the wild.
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