ZooBorns

Leishan is One Happy Hippo

Keepers at the Edinburgh Zoo are celebrating the birth of a pygmy hippopotamus. Leishan, whose name means ‘gift’ in West African, was born on June 9th. She is the offspring of Ellen and Otto and is the first baby for this new breeding pair.

 

Photo credits: Alan Thomson

Big Baby Hippo at the Berlin Zoo

Big babies can be awfully cute, as evidenced by new arrival Paula the baby hippo at Zoo Berlin. Only two weeks old in this series of photos taken on Tuesday, the little girl already weighs 88 lbs! Fully grown, Paula will weigh about two tons.

While somewhat ungainly on land, underwater hippos take on a graceful quality as the water makes them (relatively) light on their toes. Hippos do not in fact swim underwater, but sink to the bottom where they trot along the bed.

More pictures and video below the fold.

Baby Pygmy Hippo at the Marwell Park Zoo

With less than 3,000 in the wild, pygmy hippos are highly endangered. By breeding babies like this little girl, conservationists hope to help save the species from extinction. The public is invited to help pick a name for her on the Marwell Zoological Park website. Options include Loko, Kadina, Zimmi and Lola.

Photo credit: Solent News and Photo Agency

Photo credit: Solent News and Photo Agency

Rare Baby Pygmy Hippo

Sydney's Taronga Zoo is celebrating the recent birth of its first pygmy hippopotamus in 23 years.

Monifa was born about three weeks ago and weighs six kilograms or about thirteen pounds.When compared with a normal full sized adult hippo weighing between 3,000 - 4,500 kilograms (6,500 - 10,000 pounds) you get an idea of what a mini hippo Monifa really is.

(Above Photo Credit: Taronga Zoo)