Baby Pygmy Hippo Goes for His First Swim Under the Watchful Eye of His Mother

A baby pygmy hippopotamus named Obi went for his very first swim under the watchful and protective eye of his mother Petre. Obi was born and is being raised at the Melbourne Zoo along with other pygmy hippos so that their population can outgrow their endangered status.

The name Obi means heart in the Nigerian Igbo language, and he is certainly melting a few hearts here at Melbourne Zoo. Obi has grown quickly from his birth weight of around 5 kilos, putting on roughly 500 grams a day and now weighs over 13 kilos. He has been leaning to swim in the nursery yard pool and passed with flying colours. Today marked an important milestone for Obi as he ventured into the deeper water of the exhibit. Wild Sea Manager, Justin Valentine said ‘he loves the water and spends hours in the small pool, so he is ready for the next step.’