Endangered species
An endangered pygmy hippo has been born at a Virginia zoo.
The female was born Dec. 9 at Metro Richmond Zoo in Moseley, Virginia. It is parents' Iris and Corwin’s third calf in four and a half years and they are all females.
This is also the pair's second calf to arrive right before the holidays.
The baby girl arrived after a 7-month gestation and the mother gave birth in water.
The zoo says common hippos usually give birth underwater, but pygmy hippo calves can be born on land or in water. Plus, a few zoo guests got to see the birth, as well as zoo keepers, around 4:50 pm Dec. 9.
The yet-unnamed baby was 15 pounds at her 5-day-old exam. Fully grown pygmy hippos can weigh up to 600 pounds.
The pygmy hippo is native to the swamps and rivers of West Africa. According to the zoo, less than 2,500 mature individuals remain in the wild.
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