For the first time in 10 years, Attica Zoological Park in Athens, Greece, has welcomed a brand new baby pygmy hippo into their midst. These critters have actually become fairly rare in captivity, so a lot of people are pretty excited about this adorable little guy! He was born on February 19 and has yet to be named. His parents are Lizzie and Jamal, the only other animals of their kind at this zoo.
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Noi Psaroudaki, a wildlife veterinarian at Attica Zoological Park, explained to Reuters the significance of this baby pygmy hippo’s birth.
“This is the first birth in the zoo in 2024, and what a birth!” she said. “Every captive birth of pygmy hippos is extremely important. We’re very happy to see this baby grow into a healthy adult hippo, and hopefully one day reproduce.”
It’s apparently especially fortunate that the Attica Zoological Park’s newest pygmy hippo is a boy. As an endangered species, it’s crucial for these creatures to be able to breed. However, there’s been quite a shortage of males living in captivity, which has made things difficult to say the least!
Although staff at the zoo in Athens, Greece, have high hopes for this pygmy hippo, the calf won’t be leaving his mother’s side for the time being. Welcome to the world, little guy!
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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