The mother is 18-year-old "Kelsey". Kelsey was born at the Baton Rouge Zoo and arrived at Zoo Miami in May of 1993. This is Kelsey's first baby.
hippo10
The father is 11-year-old "Pogo". Pogo was born at the Toronto Zoo and arrived at Zoo Miami in June of 2009.
hippo6
Though this is the 11th pygmy hippo to be born at Zoo Miami and it has been over 20 years since the last birth so everyone at Zoo Miami is very excited.
hippo8
The baby will remain off exhibit with its mother for a few days to allow strong bonding and reduce stress.
hippo11
Pygmy hippos are extremely rare and are found in isolated pockets of West Africa, mainly in Liberia, with only a few thousand remaining in the wild.
hippo12
They are substantially smaller than the more common river hippos, usually weighing between 500 and 700 pounds as opposed to the river hippos which can weigh close to 8,000 pounds.
hippo7
In this photo, Kelsey opens her mouth wide in order to protect her baby by showing those very impressive tusks which can cause serious injury
hippo3
The baby is born after an approximately 6 to 7 month pregnancy and the newborn weighs approximately 12 pounds.
hippo2
Pygmy hippos are also more solitary and more terrestrial than their larger cousins.
hippo9
Zoo Miami will have a "name the baby hippo contest". You can enter by going to the zoo's website and the winner will receive a behind-the-scenes, private introduction to the baby.