MONTGOMERY ZOO (Montgomery, AL): The Montgomery Zoo is proud to announce the birth of female pygmy hippopotamus calf on May 27, 2023. Mother (Lola) and calf (Meela) have been in the special nursing suite located in the South America realm. We invite the press and the public to join us on Wednesday June 28th at 10:00am for her public debut.
The birth of Meela is special as the pygmy hippo is an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN). This is the sixth pygmy hippo birth in the last seven years at the Zoo.
The other recent calves born at the Montgomery Zoo, Monty in 2016 and Levi in 2018 are now continuing to mature and thrive at the Greater Richmond Zoo in Virginia. While Hadari, born 2022, was recently moved to the Pittsburg Zoo and is doing great adapting to his new home. The Montgomery Zoo’s other adult pygmy hippopotamuses can be viewed in their permanent exhibit in the Africa realm of the Zoo.
About Pygmy Hippopotamus
The pygmy hippopotamus is a large mammal native to the forests and swamps of western Africa. A cousin of the much larger common hippopotamus, the pygmy hippo is semi-aquatic and relies on proximity to water to maintain moisturized skin and a cool body temperature. Reclusive and nocturnal, it is a difficult animal to study in the wild. However, pygmy hippos have a history of breeding well in captivity. The World Conservation Union estimates that less than 3,000 pygmy hippos remain in the wild.
Though pygmy hippos share the same general form as the hippopotamus, they grow to approximately half the height and one quarter of the weight of their larger cousins. Full grown, the pygmy hippo typically reaches 30-32 inches in height, 59-70 inches in length, and 400-600 lbs. in weight. It is estimated that pygmy hippos can grow to ten times their birth weight by the age of five months.
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The Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum is a 42-acre zoological facility located minutes from the heart of historic, downtown Montgomery. The Montgomery Zoo features a variety of exotic animals native to Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, and South America. A trademark addition of the Zoo is the Mann Wildlife Learning Museum, housing the one of the Southeast’s largest collections of preserved North American wildlife, artifacts, and fossils. The Montgomery Zoo is a department of the City of Montgomery.
Daily operating hours: 9am - 5pm, with last admission at 4pm.
Admission: Adults $18, Children (3-12 years) $14, Toddlers (2 years and under) FREE, and Seniors 65 years old and older $16.
