Bristol Zoo Gardenshas welcomed a new-sprung babypygmy hippopotamusinto the universe .
The calfskin was born three calendar week ago at the UK zoo and presently resides with its parents Sirana and Nato in the Hippo House .
The baby is yet to be named . The zoo does not yet know if the calfskin is male or female . When bear , they unremarkably just weigh 4.5 - 6.4 kilo ( 10 - 14 British pound sterling ) . Even when full grown , they only reach around 142 - 175 centimeters ( 4.7 - 5.7 feet ) and weigh just a fourth part of a full - sizedcommon river horse .
“ The sura is look very strong and it certainly feed well , ” Lynsey Bugg , Bristol Zoo ’s adjunct curator of mammalian , say in astatement .
She add : “ Like any fry , it want to be close to Mum at all time and is often see by her side . It spends short periods of time in the water but is not quite as good at swimming as its parents so we often see Mum Sirana channelize her little one back into the shallow water . ”
Pygmy hippos primarily live in Liberia , West Africa , although small universe can be found in neighboring countries such as Sierra Leone , Guinea and Ivory Coast .
alas , the species is under massive threat . appraisal of their universe vary , however most sources believe there are around2,000 to 3,000 left in the wild . The master factors threaten the species let in loss of born habitat , poach for bushmeat , natural predatory animal , and thearea ’s recent civil wars .
Due to the coinage ' decline , Bristol Zoo Gardens is part of an international captive breeding program to help save the coinage from extinction .
Speaking about the program , Lynsey Bugg said , “ The European program is a well - established and very successful programme and our male , Nato , is a genetically important fauna ; by nonremittal , so will be his offspring . ”
This birth in the U.K. comes in the same calendar month a pigmy Hippopotamus amphibius was alsoborn at San Diego Zoo .
Not much is known about their demeanor in the state of nature . Although , you ’ll be pleased to find out that pigmy hippos are not considered to beas fierce as their larger cousin , the common hippopotamus .
More astonishing sister news show . A tiny baby pygmy hippo has been bear at the Zoo.https://t.co/TOpQHzx7Nmpic.twitter.com/RU85S4wU1F
— Bristol Zoo Gardens ( @BristolZooGdns)November 20 , 2015
