Virginia zoo welcomes newborn pygmy hippopotamus as year ends

RICHMOND, Va. — A female pygmy hippo gave birth to a healthy calf at the Metro Richmond Zoo earlier this month, officials said — the third baby hippo born at the zoo in the past five years.

Mother Iris gave birth to the female calf on December 9 after a seven-month gestation period, 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 born in December, according to the zoo.

“Most people don’t get a hippo at all for Christmas, so we’re fortunate to have gotten two over the years,” zoo officials said in a news release Tuesday.

Five days after her birth, the baby underwent a neonatal examination and weighed 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms). Officials said full-grown pygmy hippos can weigh up to 500 pounds.

According to the Richmond Area Zoo, pygmy hippos are an endangered West African species and there are only 2,500 adult hippos left in the wild. Officials said pygmy hippos are distinguished 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 reached adulthood, they were moved to other zoological facilities to live with future partners and continue contributing to the conservation of their species,” the press release said.