A Baby Pygmy Hippo Is Expected at the Toronto Zoo in July 2026 — Fewer Than 3,000 Remain in the Wild
Pygmy hippos have become popular topics lately thanks to the viral success of Thai artist Moo Deng. Now, North America will welcome its own pygmy hippo in just a few months.
On Mother’s Day, the Toronto Zoo shared an update on Kindia, its pregnant pygmy hippopotamus, confirming that the 20-year-old mother-to-be is doing well and on track to welcome her second calf at the end of July. The zoo does not know the sex of the calf.
For zoo visitors, the upcoming birth is adorable and exciting news. But for conservationists, it is a carefully coordinated effort to protect one of the world’s rarest large mammals and an endangered species from its natural habitat in West Africa.
Inside Kindia’s Pygmy Hippo Pregnancy at the Toronto Zoo
Behind the scenes at the zoo’s African Rainforest Pavilion, veterinarians recently performed an ultrasound to monitor the pregnancy. According to zoo staff, Kindia willingly participates in its procedures through positive reinforcement training, which teaches zoo animals to voluntarily participate in their own medical care.
According to the zoo, animals participate in weight checks, physical exams and blood draws. Positive reinforcement reduces the animal’s stress and allows veterinarians to monitor its health.
This isn’t Kindia’s first rodeo, either. She previously gave birth to a cub named Penelope in 2018, who now lives at the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The father of the expected calf is Harvey, a 31-year-old hippo introduced to Kindia in January as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Pygmy Hippo Species Survival Plan, a breeding initiative focused on genetics, long-term health and population sustainability.
Learn more: First Asian elephant calf born after 25 years at Smithsonian National Zoo
What makes pygmy hippos so unique?
Often overshadowed by their much larger cousins, pygmy hippos are one of Africa’s most mysterious mammals. While common hippos spend much of their time in open rivers, pygmy hippos are smaller, more solitary, and adapted to dense forest habitats.
According to the Toronto Zoo, after a gestation period of 180 to 210 days, mothers hide their newborns for several weeks to protect them from predators and harsh environmental conditions. The young pygmy hippos then grow quickly, weighing about a pound per day. In five months, a calf can weigh ten times its birth weight.
With a lifespan of 30 to 50 years, each new birth of pygmy hippos is a major conservation victory.
Why conservation of pygmy hippos is important
The excitement surrounding Kindia’s pregnancy comes with a sobering reminder: Native only to the Upper Guinea forests of West Africa, pygmy hippos have lost about 75 percent of their natural habitat and are currently listed on the IUCN Red List.
Today, the species survives primarily in seven fragmented regions of Africa, with scientists estimating that there are only about 2,000 left in the wild, as noted by Endangered Species International.
Habitat destruction from logging, mining, farming, and agricultural expansion continues to reduce their forest habitats. As habitats become increasingly fragmented, pygmy hippos are pushed closer to humans, increasing the risk of hunting and disturbance.
If all goes as planned, the Toronto Zoo’s new calf won’t just be another story of cute baby animals. This will be part of a much larger effort to ensure that pygmy hippos still exist for future generations to see.
“Endangered species conservation efforts have no borders and the more we work together internationally, the more we increase our chances of saving incredible animals like the pygmy hippopotamus,” concluded Maria Franke, curator of mammals at the Toronto Zoo, in a 2018 press release.
Learn more: Rare white bison born at Iowa wildlife refuge
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