Rare Pygmy Hippo Born in Greece

Christina Thompson (Anchor, EarthxNews): A new bundle of joy has arrived at a zoo in Greece! Conservationists and wildlife officials are celebrating the birth of a rare and endangered pygmy hippopotamus at the Attica Zoological Park in Athens. Officials say the male calf was born to parents Lizzy and Jamal in mid-February and marks the first birth at the zoo this year. Staffers say a lack of male pygmy hippos in captivity has made breeding harder, so the little one being a boy also has the zoo’s veterinarian overjoyed. Take a listen.

Noi Psaroudaki (Veterinarian, Attica Zoological Park): We’re absolutely thrilled. Not only because it’s a very endangered species, but also because it’s a boy. Every captive birth of pygmy hippos is extremely important, and we’re very happy to see this baby grow into a healthy adult hippo and hopefully one day reproduce and produce more pygmy hippos.

THOMPSON: Zoo officials say the baby boy will stay with his mother, Lizzy, for a few months before being allowed in the zoo’s outdoor space. Wildlife officials say pygmy hippos are native to swamps and rainforests in Western Africa. And according to estimates from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, only about 2,000 to 2,500 still live in the wild.