A zoo in the state of Ohio is happy to have a new resident, whose arrival was a surprise to many zoo workers.
The Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio has released a video of a baby hippo whose birth was a surprise to zookeepers.
The 23-year-old hippopotamus Bibi gave birth to her calf on Wednesday.
What is special about the newcomer is that Bibi’s pregnancy was revealed to the animal keepers only in the spring.
Many of the employees at the Cincinnati Zoo thought the baby news was a joke. Bibi was not supposed to be able to get pregnant because the female was on birth control.
– Most forms of contraception for both hippos and humans are not 100% reliable. Apparently, the dose we had previously given to Bibi did not prevent pregnancy this time, said the director of animal care Christina Gorsuch.
Nature intervened
The cub’s father, 18-year-old hippopotamus Tucker, arrived at the zoo last year.
According to the animal keepers, the couple seemed to be interested in each other right away.
Before long, the zoo planned to mate the hippos, but nature did its job regardless of the zookeepers’ plans.
At the latest on Tuesday, it became clear to the workers that Bibi’s pregnancy was no joke, when the hippopotamus’ contractions began. A healthy baby hippo was born on Wednesday evening, the animal keepers said.
Bibi already has one child, 5-year-old Fiona.