Virginia zoo welcomes newborn pygmy hippo

New arrival at Metro Richmond Zoo

A female pygmy hippopotamus at the Metro Richmond Zoo has welcomed a new addition to her family. On December 9, Iris, the mother hippo, gave birth to a healthy female calf after a seven-month gestation period. This marks the third hippo birth at the zoo in the past five years.

A special holiday gift

The newborn calf, who has yet to be named, is the third offspring for Iris and her mate, Corwin. Interestingly, she is the second calf to be born in December. "Most people don’t get a hippopotamus for Christmas at all, so we feel lucky to have received two over the years," zoo officials shared in a news release.

Conservation efforts for an endangered species

Pygmy hippos are an endangered species native to West Africa, with only about 2,500 mature individuals left in the wild. Unlike their larger relatives, pygmy hippos are typically solitary or found in pairs. To support conservation efforts, Iris' previous calves have been relocated to other zoological facilities to find future mates and help preserve their species. The newborn calf weighed 15 pounds during her neonatal exam, but she could grow to weigh up to 600 pounds as an adult.