Pygmy Hippo Baby Captures Keepers’ Hearts

Taronga Zoo is celebrating its first Pygmy Hippopotamus calf birth in 23 years.

The youngster named ‘Monifa', meaning ‘I am lucky' in Nigerian weighed just 3.8 kilograms when it was born in the early hours of October 15 to first-time mother, ‘Petre' and father ‘Timmy'. However after a difficult breach birth, the Zoo's dedicated keepers made the decision to intervene and hand-raise the precious female calf.

Keeper, Renae Zammit, said: "We had hoped that Petre would be able to raise the calf, but after birthing complications the new arrival struggled in the first 24 hours to stand and suckle. With only one other breeding pair of Pygmy Hippos in the Australasian region every precaution was taken to give it the best chance of survival." Read More

Tags: Pygmy Hippo, Monifa