Baby pygmy hippo at Poland zoo

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Thu, 02 Sep 2010 1:48p.m.

The pygmy hippopotamus

The pygmy hippopotamus

A male pygmy hippopotamus, born in Poland's Wroclaw Zoo, has been seen by the public for the first time this week.

The young male hippo was born two weeks ago and now weighs 5kg.

It could eventually grow to reach a weight of 375kg.

The baby hippo's name is yet to be revealed, but its mother is called Elpunia and its father's name is Carlos.

Female hippos are more numerous than males, and so the birth of a male is a significant event.

Miroslaw Piasecki of Wroclaw Zoo said that only four pygmy hippo cubs have been born in European zoos this year and all of them were female.

The Pygmy Hippopotamus is native to the forests and swamps of western Africa - mostly in Liberia.

Due to shrinking of its habitat as well as hunting and poaching, it has become an endangered species.

The estimated number of the creatures living in the wild is around 3000.

APTN

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Comments

23 May 2011 08:52a.m.

john wrote:

aaww i want one

12 Apr 2011 05:14a.m.

carlie wrote:

they are very cute