How cute is this little zoo baby? Lani the Pygmy Hippopotamus was born on March 18, 2014 at
Basel Zoo in Switzerland. At birth, the tiny hippo was the size of a rabbit, weighing in at just under 11.5 pounds.
The
birth was a happy occasion for the staff at Basel Zoo, as it has been
fourteen years since a baby of this species was born there, and it did
not survive. Lani's mother Ashaki accompanies her when she is in the
outdoor area of their enclosure. Lani is allowed to roam only on sunny
days for now, as she needs to keep warm. Her keepers say she enjoys
hiding in the bushes and snacking on Fennel and other plant leaves.
Pygmy
hippopotamus are severely endangered. They typically live in the
rainforests of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Until recently, these
countries suffered from political unrest and instability; thus, few
researchers and conservationists operate there. Basel Zoo donates 17,000
Swiss francs each year to support a conservation project in Sierra
Leone.
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