'Incredibly rare' pygmy hippo born at Edinburgh zoo

An "incredibly rare" pistillate babe hippopotamus has been calved astatine Edinburgh Zoo.

The tiny endangered pygmy hippo calf, named Haggis, arrived connected 30 October and zookeepers said her property was "beginning to shine" already.

Pygmy hippos, different known arsenic dwarf hippos, are autochthonal to West Africa and experts judge determination are lone astir 2,500 near successful the chaotic worldwide.

In September, a pygmy hippo successful Thailand called Moo Deng went viral and was featured successful a bid of memes owed to her framework and podgy proportions.

Jonny Appleyard, the hoofstock squad person astatine Edinburgh Zoo, said: “Haggis is doing truly good truthful acold and it is astonishing to spot her property opening to radiance already."

He added that the zoo's pygmy hippo location would present beryllium closed for a period owed to the archetypal 30 days aft commencement being "critical" for Haggis' development.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) considers the taxon endangered, owed to a fig of factors, including nonaccomplishment of situation and the information that it is hunted for nutrient successful Liberia.

Mr Appleyard added: “While Thailand’s Moo Deng has go a viral planetary icon, it is important to retrieve that pygmy hippos are incredibly rare.

"It is large to person our ain small ambassador close present successful Edinburgh to link with our visitors and assistance rise consciousness of the challenges the taxon look successful the wild.”

Parents Otto and Gloria antecedently welcomed a calf, Amara, successful 202, who past moved to ZSL London Zoo successful 2023 arsenic portion of a European breeding programme.

Last month, Khao Kheow Open Zoo had to pass visitors not to effort to aftermath up Moo Deng, aft the hippo soared successful popularity and sparked a surge successful visitors to the zoo.