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 Internet Is Obsessed With This Cat Who Ignores The Canada-US Border

March 22, 2026

On a quiet street in British Columbia, right where Canada meets the United States, lives a cat who has decided that international borders simply do not apply to him. His name is Louis Vuitton, and every single day he leaps across a narrow ditch that marks the official boundary between

Read More
Happy News

Half A Million People Voted And They All Agree On One Thing

March 22, 2026

When researchers asked people across 92 countries whether they would rather protect the environment or grow the economy if they had to choose, the answer that came back was surprisingly consistent: most people chose the planet. A new study from the University of Vermont found that nearly 58 percent of

Read More
Happy News

This City Gave Over A Million Dollars In Cash Directly To New Moms

March 22, 2026

When a baby is born in Detroit, a check arrives in the mail within days. That is the promise behind Rx Kids, a new no-strings-attached cash aid program that launched in the city and distributed more than a million dollars to over 1,000 families in its very first month. The

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 © 2026 HappyNews.