A Virginia zoo welcomes newborn pygmy hippopotamus as year ends

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A female pygmy hippopotamus delivered a healthy calf at the Metro Richmond Zoo earlier this month. She is the third baby hippo born at the zoo within five years. The zoo said the baby hippo was also the second calf to be born in December. The mother gave birth to the female calf on Dec. 9 following a seven-month gestation. Pygmy hippos are an endangered West African species, and only 2,500 mature hippos remain in the wild. Pygmy hippos are distinctive from regular hippos because they do not live in groups and are usually solitary or found living in pairs.