Premature Baby Hippo Receives Intensive Care at Cincinnati Zoo

A video published by the The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Wednesday, January 25, shows a premature baby hippopotamus receiving around the clock intensive care by zoo staff.

The calf’s mother is reported to be doing fine and is allowing for milk to be collected because of her experience of standing still for ultrasounds. The milk is then added to a fluid mixture which is tube-fed to the baby hippo who is too weak to stand up.

The female calf, the first Nile hippo born at the zoo in 75 years, was not expected until March. The zoo said the baby was born at 29 pounds, which is 25 pounds lighter than the lowest-recorded birth weight for a Nile hippo. The normal range is around 55-120 pounds.

Although the calf is being cared for near her mother, she cannot be re-united with her mother until she is strong enough to stand. Credit: The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden via Storyful