Pygmy Hippo Calf Born At John Ball Zoo Steals Hearts

The zoos in Michigan have a lot of unique animals, but one of the most special and celebrated is the pygmy hippo. The John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids recently celebrated the birth of a brand new picky hippo calf.

I think we can all agree that baby animals of all kinds are super adorable, and none may be cuter than the pygmy hippo.

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On a recent Facebook post, they shared the excitement and the details of the birth.

We are overjoyed to announce the birth of our pygmy hippo calf! First-time parents Penelope and Jahari welcomed their 11-pound little one on September 3, marking a historic moment as this is the first pygmy hippo calf born at the Zoo.

They went on to describe why the birth of this little calf is so crucial, not only to the zoo, but to the species in general:

Pygmy hippos are an endangered species with fewer than 2,500 estimated in the wild, so each birth is a vital step for conservation. Our animal care team is keeping a close eye on mom and baby as they bond behind the scenes, and both are doing well.

This isn’t the only birth that’s taking place at the zoo, as while they were waiting for Penelope, the pygmy hippo baby to be born, they also saw the birth of a new Caecilian, which is a legless amphibian that resembles worms or snakes, but they’re actually more related to frogs and salamanders that live underground or in water.

The new pygmy hippo, from what we know so far, has not been named, but it will be interesting to see what she ends up being called.