Baby pygmy hippo explores enclosure

Mar 16 2012

A baby pygmy hippo has begun venturing outside in time for Mother's Day.

Adult hippo Ellen gave birth to Eve at Edinburgh Zoo on December 31.

For the past few months Eve has stayed inside the pygmy hippo house but has started exploring the outdoor enclosure in the last week.

Ellen gave birth to her first calf, a female called Leishan, in 2009.

Donald Gow, senior primate and hoofstock keeper at Edinburgh Zoo, said: "Pygmy hippos are endangered in the wild and numbers are declining, so it's fantastic that Edinburgh Zoo has such a natural mum like Ellen. She's got great maternal instincts.

"Baby Eve is Ellen's second calf and both mum and baby seem to have a really strong bond. Eve is a little shy and tends to stick close to mum.

"This week we've started to see Eve follow her mum into their outdoor enclosure and she's growing in confidence every day.

"With a little help from her mum, Eve even tackled swimming just a few days after she was born. Surprisingly, given their love of water, pygmy hippos have to be taught how to swim."

A pygmy hippo is only half as tall as a hippopotamus.

Adult pygmy hippos stand about 30in-32in (75cm-83cm) high at the shoulder, are 59in-70in (150cm-177cm) in length and weigh 400lb-600lb (180kg-275kg). They are native to West Africa.