Iris gave birth in the indoor pool of the hippo enclosure. Keepers and a few guests were present to witness the birth. According to a news release, the baby exhibited natural instincts to kick and swim around in the water. Following the birth, Iris and the baby were relocated to a hay-bedded enclosure outside of the zoo’s exhibit for bonding. They are expected to re-enter the exhibit soon.
In recent zoo news, the public’s affection for baby zoo animals like Moo Deng and Pesto has been explored by psychologists. The hype surrounding the new pygmy hippo follows a summer of adoration for Moo Deng, a pygmy hippo born at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand in July. Videos and photos capturing Moo Deng’s interactions with zoo keepers, her enjoyment of baths, and her relaxation in water buckets have amassed millions of views on social media.
In a unique turn of events, Moo Deng participated in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, symbolically “voting” for President-elect Donald Trump. Presented with two fruit baskets, one labeled with Kamala Harris’ name and the other with Trump’s name, Moo Deng opted to munch and crunch on the Trump cake.
Shortly after Moo Deng’s birth, another female pygmy calf named Haggis gained social media fame. Born in October, Haggis currently resides at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo.
Pygmy hippos, often considered the smaller cousin of the common hippo, have been classified as endangered since 2016. They are approximately half the size of common hippos and weigh less than one-fourth of an adult common hippo’s full size. Pygmy hippos are indigenous to West Africa, with an average life expectancy of 27 years.
