LONDON -- Red alert: there is a newborn pygmy hippo at Bristol Zoo and, although as of yet unnamed, is super cute in everything it does.
According to the Bristol Zoo website, the unnamed and unsexed calf is nearly three weeks old and lives with parents Sirana and Nato in the Hippo House. Lynsey Bugg, Bristol Zoo’s assistant curator of mammals, says: "The calf is looking very strong and it certainly feeds well. Like any youngster, it wants to be close to mum at all times and is often seen by her side. It spends short periods of time in the water but is not quite as good at swimming as its parents."
Patience, young pygmy hippo.
Since pygmy hippos, which only grow to around 80 cm (2 feet 7 inches), are under threat in the wild, Bristol Zoo is a part of an important international breeding programme. Bugg explains that Nato, unnamed baby pygmy hippo's dad, is a "genetically important animal" and "by default, so will be his offspring.”
Awesome.
Here's some adorable photos of said unnamed baby pygmy hippo going for a swim. Yes.
