Meet Olivia, a rolly polly dwarf Hippo and newest addition to the Parken Zoo family in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Olivia was born 2 August 2014, weighing just under 6 kg (13 lbs). A small 5-picture album of the newborn was recently shared on Parken Zoo’s Facebook page.
The species is more formally known as the pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis) and is native to the forests and swamps of West Africa. The pygmy is one of only two extant species in the Hippopotamidae family, the other being its much larger cousin the common hippopotamus. [source]
A rare nocturnal forest creature, the World Conservation Union estimates that there are fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos remaining in the wild. Pygmy hippos are typically half as tall as the common hippopotamus and weigh less than 1/4 of their larger cousins. Adult pygmy hippos stand about 75–83 cm (2.46–2.72 ft) high at the shoulder, are 150–177 cm (4.92–5.81 ft) in length and weigh 180–275 kg (397–606 lb). [source]
