For the first time in ten years, a rare and endangered pygmy hippopotamus, has been born at Athens’ zoo.
The people working at the zoo were thrilled with the birth of the male calf, as a lack of male pygmy hippos in captivity had complicated breeding efforts.
Noi Psaroudaki, the zoo’s wildlife veterinarian, mentioned to Reuters “This is the first birth in the zoo in 2024, and what a birth!”
“Every captive birth of pygmy hippos is extremely important.”
According to the independent.co.uk, around 2,000-2,500 pygmy hippos still live in the wild, they are native to swamps and rainforests in western Africa.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists pygmy hippos as an endangered species.
Source: Independent
