The John Ball Zoo in the US has formally named a child pygmy hippopotamus ‘Hugo’. The zoo is situated in Michigan and is known as after John Ball, who donated 40 acres of his land to construct a public park that was later developed as a zoo.
‘Hugo’ made historical past on September 3 by turning into the primary pygmy hippo to be born on the zoo.
Allow us to take a better have a look at what pygmy hippos are.
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📌 Hippos are largely present in East Africa, whereas pygmy hippos (Choreopsis liberiensis) are present in West Africa. These animals could be largely present in Liberia, with smaller populations in Guinea.
📌 Child pygmy hippos weigh round 550 kilos, the identical as home pigs and lions.
These animals are about one-tenth the scale of an grownup hippopotamus. (Freepik)
📌 These species require wholesome forests and freshwater to outlive. Fewer than 2,500 pygmy hippos are thought to exist on the planet.
📌 These are solitary and secretive creatures roaming round within the wild. Story continues under this advert
📌 They intimidate their potential predators or enemies by opening jaws and baring their canine enamel.
📌 They’re a stout animal with a comparatively small and rounded head and thick blackish pores and skin. Similar to the bigger Nile Hippo, they excrete massive reddish droplets that soften and defend their pores and skin.
📌 Pygmy hippos have 4 abdomen chambers and spend loads of time filling them — as a lot as 6 hours per day. They’re herbivores feeding on grasses, roots, stems and leaves of younger roots and bushes and different vegetation.
(With inputs from World Extensive Fund & Zoo New England)
