Hippo hooray! Metro Richmond ZOO is excited to announce a heartwarming addition to our animal family just in time for the holidays: a baby pygmy hippo. The newborn arrived on December 9, 2024, after a 7-month gestation. Congratulations to pygmy hippo parents Iris and Corwin on the birth of another little girl.

This is Iris and Corwin’s 3rd calf in 4.5 years (all females!), and their 2nd calf to arrive right before the holidays. Most people don’t get a hippopotamus for Christmas at all, so we feel lucky to have received two over the years.

This birth was unique as it was the first time Iris gave birth in water. While common hippos usually give birth underwater, pygmy hippo calves can be born on land or in water.

This token represents a baby pygmy hippo named Poppy.