The John Ball Zoo in the USA has formally named a child pygmy hippopotamus ‘Hugo’. The zoo is positioned in Michigan and is called 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 changing into the primary pygmy hippo to be born on the zoo.
Allow us to take a better take a look at what pygmy hippos are.
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📌 Hippos are principally present in East Africa, whereas pygmy hippos (Choreopsis liberiensis) are present in West Africa. These animals may be principally 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 dimensions 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.
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📌 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 giant reddish droplets that soften and shield their pores and skin.
📌 Pygmy hippos have 4 abdomen chambers and spend a whole lot 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 timber and different vegetation.
(With inputs from World Extensive Fund & Zoo New England)
