A conservation milestone for the endangered species.
That’s how zoo leaders describe Wednesday evening’s birth of the first pygmy hippopotamus calf at John Ball Zoo.
“There are only an estimated 2,500 left in the wild and even under managed care, there are only 100 in the species survival program so the birth of even one is a big win for the population as a whole.”
Animal Care Supervisor Jaime Racalla says zoo staff is keeping the gender of the baby a secret, planning to engage the public’s help in naming him or her once a personality starts to emerge.
“Dad Jahari, he loves to ham it up. He’s a real personable hippo whereas mom Penelope is so sweet and so shy, it takes a little more time to earn her trust. So, we’re excited to see what this little one brings.”
Racalla says the healthy birth is a good sign the adults, now in their prime, could have more calves.
This one will spend about a year with its mother then likely transfer to another zoo with a breeding program.
For now, mother and calf will remain out of public view for a few weeks to bond and work on healthy nursing.
“Pygmy hippos are these giant animals that have these tiny babies relative to their size so making sure mom has ‘body awareness’ is one of the biggest concerns. We’re making sure she knows where her calf is and doesn’t accidentally lay in a bad position.”
Meanwhile, John Ball Zoo is setting up a livestreaming camera on their website so visitors can sneak a peek at the new addition.
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