Baby Hippo At Dallas Zoo Splashing Around With Mama

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - It's been less than two weeks and the newest hippopotamus calf at the Dallas Zoo appears to be adjusting just fine.

The calf peeped out of the water with 12-year-old mom Boipelo on Monday and gave the camera a little ear wiggle action. Hippo calves need to come up every 30 seconds to breathe.

The zoo says both mom and calf are doing well as they continue bonding privately behind the scenes.

In February 2018, Boipelo lost her first calf moments after delivery, but this new a Nile hippopotamus was born healthy on May 14.

In the wild, hippos live in social settings for greater protection from predators. In order to replicate the most natural environment for Boipelo, the animal care team will bring in another male hippo later this year.

Native to sub-Saharan Africa, hippos are listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation and Nature due to habitat loss, and poaching for their meat and ivory-canine teeth.

The Dallas Zoo opened its $14 million Simmons Hippo Outpost in April 2017.