Pygmy Hippo Calf Expected at Toronto Zoo

0:00It's April 21st, I'm Cory with the story, and this is Canada News today, your AI-powered local news. Big news from the Toronto Zoo, where their 20-year-old female pygmy hippo named Kindia is expecting a calf due in late July. This endangered species rarely breeds in captivity, making it a huge win for conservation. Earlier this year in January, the zoo pair Kindia, with 31-year-old male Harvey, for a quick four-day meet-up. Many hippos have a gestation of less than seven months, so she's already passed the halfway point. Staff are thrilled but super careful, monitoring her daily, with ultrasounds and behavior checks. Kindia proved her mom skills back in 2018, when she birthed Penelope, the first pygmy hippocap at the zoo in 20 years. These hippos are critically endangered, with fewer than 3,000 left in West African forests and swamps. Peas are born pink, weighing four and a half to six and a half kilograms, and they pack on up to 600 grams a day.

1:01The zoo's part of a global breeding program, and funds protection efforts in the wild, so fingers crossed this little one thrives, and helps boost the population. Stay tuned for baby updates.