Toronto Zoo's pygmy hippo pregnant, expecting to welcome calf in July
· Toronto Sun
Time to talk about the hippo in the room, but in a good way.
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The Toronto Zoo cheerfully announced via Facebook that Kindia, a 20-year-old pygmy hippopotamus, is pregnant and expecting a calf in July, if all goes well.
“She (Kindia) was introduced to 31-year-old male pygmy hippo Harvey for four days in January and they certainly made the most of their time together. Pygmy hippos have a short gestation period (less than seven months) and we’re now approaching the halfway point of her pregnancy. If all goes well, we will welcome a calf in late July,” the zoo said on social media.
Officials cautiously optimistic
Kindia is already a mom with a daughter, Penelope, that she raised in 2018. The zoo is optimistic, but staffers said they’re approaching the delivery with plenty of caution.
“Calf survival for this species can be challenging,” the zoo said. “Our dedicated Wildlife Care and Health teams are closely monitoring her through behavioural observations and ultrasounds and are ready to support her every step of the way.”
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Species endangered in the wild
The pregnancy announcement was welcome news for animal lovers. The zoo said pygmy hippos are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, an indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity.
Fewer than 3,000 are believed to remain in their native forests and swamps of West Africa and their habitat is shrinking due to logging, mining, hunting and other human activity. Because of this, the Toronto Zoo participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Pygmy Hippo Species Survival Plan , an initiative designed to manage the captive population of endangered pygmy hippos.
The news followed the arrival of another youngster at the Toronto Zoo in Imara , a baby giraffe who was born in February and has become an overnight sensation with crowds lining up for hours just to get a glimpse of her during her limited viewing times.