Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

Virginia Zoo Welcomes Adorable Pygmy Hippo Calf

The Metro Richmond Zoo is celebrating the arrival of an adorable baby pygmy hippo, born just before Christmas. The female calf, born to proud parents Iris and Corwin, is their third daughter in under five years. Born in an indoor pool after a seven-month gestation, the little one immediately showcased her instincts by moving in the water right away.

Weighing a healthy 15 pounds at just five days old, the calf is expected to grow up to 600 pounds. For now, she’s bonding privately with her experienced and protective mother, Iris, away from public view. Zoo officials report that the newborn is thriving, nursing well, and growing quickly.

The birth is a vital boost for the endangered pygmy hippo species, which faces threats like habitat loss and poaching. With fewer than 2,500 mature pygmy hippos remaining in the wild, the zoo’s breeding efforts play a crucial role in their conservation. Iris’ previous calves have been moved to other zoological facilities to contribute to the species’ survival.

Describing the occasion as an exciting gift, the zoo expressed excitement over the rare and precious addition. “Most people don’t get a hippopotamus for Christmas, so we feel lucky to have received two over the years,” they shared.

PrevPreviousCommunity Rallies to Save Baltimore Pizzeria in a Holiday Miracle
NextGenerous Donation of Over $103M to Boost Native Financial InstitutionsNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

The Genius Way Wimbledon Saves Mice Every Year

December 19, 2025

When park ranger Dale Osborne noticed that torrential rain was constantly flooding the plains of Watermead Country Park North in Leicestershire, England, he watched helplessly as local harvest mice lost their nests and found himself picking up mice swimming around in the water to place them on dry land. In

Read More
Happy News

World’s First Magical Seahorse National Park

December 19, 2025

Eleuthera, a skinny 110 mile long island located 70 miles east of Nassau, bears an uncanny resemblance to a seahorse when viewed from above, making it the perfect location for the world’s first seahorse national park at Sweetings Pond and Hatchet Bay Caves. The new 548 acre park protects Sweetings

Read More
Happy News

Prehistoric Discovery Proves Manatees Are Ocean Heroes

December 19, 2025

Nicholas Pyenson, curator of fossil marine mammals at the National Museum of Natural History, co-authored groundbreaking research that reveals a treasure trove of fossils uncovered in southwestern Qatar, proving that anateesm have been protecting ocean ecosystems for tens of millions of years. The team discovered a distant relative of modern

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2025 HappyNews.