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The mother Iris gave birth to the female calf on Dec. 9
following a seven-month gestation, zoo officials said. The
newborn, who has yet to be named, is the third calf for Iris and
the father, Corwin. She was also the second calf to be born in
December, according to the zoo.
“Most people don’t get a hippopotamus for Christmas at all, so
we feel lucky to have received two over the years,” zoo
officials said in a news release Tuesday.
Five days after her birth, the baby had a neonatal exam and
weighed 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms). Officials said that fully
grown pygmy hippos can weigh up to 600 pounds (270 kilograms).
According to the Richmond-area zoo, pygmy hippos are an
endangered West African species, and only 2,500 mature hippos
remain in the wild. Officials said pygmy hippos are distinctive
from regular hippos because they do not live in groups and are
usually solitary or in pairs.
“For this reason, once Iris’ two previous calves grew up, they
were moved to other zoological facilities to live with future
mates and continue contributing to the conservation of their
species,” the news release said.
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