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Baby hippos are among the largest baby mammals in the world. They are undoubtedly some of the most adorable semi-aquatic animals, but they can also be dangerous. Read on to discover five great facts about the hippo calf and to see some very cute pictures!
#1: A baby hippo and baby turtle became best friends!
If we told you that an orphaned baby hippo and a 130-year-old turtle became best friends, you’d probably think we were crazy, right? Well, it’s true! On a animal shelter in Kenya, a hippo named Owen was separated from his family after a tsunami destroyed his home.
The owner of Lafarge Ecosystems heard about the baby hippo and immediately went to collect the animal. When she brought him to safety at her shelter, he immediately ran to a 130-year-old turtle called Mzee. Surprisingly, the turtle eventually exchanged signs of affection with Owen.
Mzee and Owen spent their days walking to the pond and patrolling the sanctuary. This unlikely friendship shows how heartwarming nature can be!
#2: Baby Hippos Weigh About 100 Pounds
Because hippos are the third largest land mammal, only behind elephants and rhinoceroses, you can probably imagine them having huge babies. In fact, the average baby hippo is born weighing about 100 pounds!
Hippopotamus calves will eventually grow to 3,000 pounds or more as mature adults. They mainly depend on breast milk, which is rich in nutrients and fat, to gain weight. Because hippos spend much of their time in the water, calves need to drink underwater. They close their eyes and nose while eating to avoid sucking in water while eating.
As soon as they are weaned, they start eat grass as their primary food source.
This helps them get used to chewing and prepares their digestive system to break down solid foods. They can eat fifty kilos of grass a night as they grow. Once they reach adulthood, their food interests branch out more, but grass remains a staple of their diet throughout their lives.
#3: Baby Hippos Can’t Swim
You may be surprised to learn that neither baby hippos nor their parents can swim. You may be wondering how they can spend so much time in the water then? The answer is simple: they use their legs to catapult themselves off the bottom of the water.
The best way to describe how hippos can live in water is that they float around. However, because they are so heavy, they can’t really float. When they appear to be floating on the surface of the water, the reality is that they are in a shallow part of the water. This gives the impression that it is floating, but is misleading.
Hippos can’t breathe underwater either. Babies can hold their breath for up to a minute below the surface. As they mature, that time increases to about five minutes.
#4: Baby Hippo Twins Are Extremely Rare
While a hippo pregnancy can result in: Twins, it is extremely rare. Mother hippos give birth to a single baby about once every two years. It’s so unheard of for a female hippo to have multiple babies at once that only 15 cases have been recorded in the past 100 years.
#5: The first hippo ultrasound was recorded in 2017
Hippos are notoriously territorial animals. When unsuspecting humans enter the territory of hippos, the animals are known to very aggressive. They are dangerous to humans because their ivory teeth are incredibly sharp. Their bite force has also been measured at around 1800 pounds of force.
These facts make it clear that it would be nearly impossible to perform an ultrasound on pregnant female hippos. A female hippo at the Cincinnati Zoo had zookeepers perform an ultrasound on her baby in 2017. Zookeepers conditioned the animal with her favorite food to convince her to perform the procedure.
The hippo was also well trained at her last zoo and was known for her easygoing personality. These conditions made the zookeeper’s job much more manageable. The result was the first hippo pregnancy ultrasound in history!
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