The Johannesburg Zoo has welcomed its first pigmy calf in less than four months, with a male calf born on the 27/11/2007

The coloring is a very dark gray matte finish with a few touches of pink around the ears and mouth. In appearance, he may be only a baby a mother can love, but he’s cute in his own way. He has 4 toes (claws?) on each foot and his skin is wrinkled.

A healthy female pygmy hippo was born at the zoo at 08h00am, much to the relief of the keepers and veterinary staff who were in attendance. There are only two pygmy hippos on exhibit in the zoo and births are rare. The gestation period for pygmy hippos is from 184 to 204 days. In the zoo the current per has gave birth to 5 babies but only 3 survived.

The mother (Jellybean) was attentive to the calf and nursing began within six hours. Looking just like a miniature version of mom, the baby is rapidly bulking up. Mom is very protective of the younger who seems to be quite adventurous. The two are on exhibit at The Pigmy Hippo enclosure in the zoo on a limited schedule. Visitors may catch a glimpse of Jellybean teaching the baby to swim.

The shy, normally solitary pygmy hippo is quite different from its nearest relative, the common hippopotamus, also known as the Nile hippo.

Pygmy hippos are considered “threatened” with extinction in the wild and are only found in Africa in the countries of Liberia, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

The baby can be seen at The New Reptile House in the Zoo.

 

<< Back to more news