Mother probably stepped on the young animal Small pygmy hippopotamus at Berlin Zoo is doing better
The mini-hippo girl at Berlin Zoo was lame - the mother hippo may have accidentally laid on the young animal. Now comes encouraging news from the zookeepers.
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- A pygmy hippopotamus born in June, which recently had difficulty walking due to an injury, is on the mend.
- The mother hippo may have accidentally laid on the young animal.
- A name is now being sought for the mini-hippo.
Hopeful news from Berlin Zoo: the pygmy hippo born at the beginning of June, which recently had difficulty walking due to an injury, is on the road to recovery. The zoo announced this on the X platform without giving any further details. "Our hippo team is continuing to keep a close eye on the young animal. A huge thank you for all your kind wishes for a speedy recovery!" the post continued.
Just over a week ago, the zoo announced that the mini hippo girl was lame due to a fracture to her iliac crest. "It is not known what caused the injury. Mother hippo Debbie could have accidentally laid on the young animal," explained zoo director Andreas Knieriem.
Hippo name still being sought
Fortunately, the bones of young animals at this age are still very soft and grow quickly. "The prognosis for a complete recovery is therefore very good," said Knieriem on July 11. It is assumed that the fracture will heal on its own.
The little pygmy hippopotamus does not yet have a name - the zoo had called for ideas to be submitted on social networks. There were more than 20,000 suggestions from all over the world. The natural habitat of the pygmy hippopotamus is in the rainforests of West Africa. There are said to be fewer than 2500 adult specimens left there - and the trend is downwards.