New Baby Hippo at Taronga Zoo

words by niall roeder

A slimy, hairless bulldog. Sounds cute, right? Maybe not, but a baby pygmy hippo, which is pretty much a slimy, hairless bulldog, is as cute as a hatful of buttons. And as of February 21, Sydney’s Taronga Zoo is now home to one.

By all reports, first-time parents and long time bed buddies, Fergus and Kambiri, are proud as punch with their adorably chubby daughter who weighed five kilogrammes at birth and has steadily stacked on the rolls since.

Meet the tiny new arrival who is already making a big splash! This endangered Pygmy Hippo calf was born to first-time parents Fergus and Kambiri on 21 February, but made her public debut today under the watchful eye of her mother and keepers. Visitors will begin to catch glimpses of the calf as she starts to explore outdoors and perfect the art of swimming #pygmyhippo

A post shared by Taronga Zoo (@tarongazoo) on Mar 17, 2017 at 1:09am PDT

Zookeepers at Taronga Zoo are also over the moon, with the rare mini hippopotamus being the first of its kind born at Taronga Zoo in seven years, in what is a great win for conservation. Pygmy hippos are native to the forests and swamps of West Africa and with as few as 2,000-3,000 of these plump and squishy recluses remaining in the wild, are currently on the endangered list.

The charming little calf, which is yet to be named, made her public debut last week under the watchful eye of her mum and keepers. Taronga visitors will begin to sneak peeks of the little one as she starts to explore the zoo’s rainforest trail and practice important hippo skills with mum, like foraging and swimming.

A baby pygmy hippo plays in the water with her mother 'Kambiri' at Toronga Zoo in Sydney. Zoo-goers in Australia were introduced to the rare baby pygmy hippo, the first of its kind born at Taronga Zoo in seven years. . . . Credit: AFP Photo / Taronga Zoo / Paul Fahy. #PygmyHippos #Kambiri #TorongaZoo #Sydney #Hippo #BabyHippo #Baby #Mother #Telegrpah #PicturesOfTheDay

A post shared by The Telegraph (@telegraph) on Mar 18, 2017 at 11:13am PDT

Taronga Zoo said it would soon announce a competition to help choose a name for the new baby pygmy hippo. And judging by the whole Boaty McBoatface saga, we’re guessing “Hippo McHippface” will be a front runner.

Pygmy Hippo Facts

• The pygmy hippopotamus cannot sweat, so they secrete a pink, oily substance which prevents sunburn and may have anti-bacterial properties
• Pygmy hippopotamuses are capable of dashing at speeds of up to 30kph
• Despite their appearance, both species of hippopotamus are actually thought to be more closely related to whales rather than pigs and hogs
• Their biggest threat is hunting and habitat loss, aka humans