Rare West African Pygmy Hippos Welcomed at Michigan’s John Ball Zoo

The John Ball Zoo in the United States has officially named a ba pygmy hippopotamus ‘Hugo’. The zoo is located in Michigan and is named after John Ball, who donated 40 acres of his land to build a public park that was later developed as a zoo. 
‘Hugo’ made hory on September 3 becoming the first pygmy hippo to be born at the zoo. 
Let us take a closer look at what pygmy hippos are.
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📌 Hippos are mostly found in East Africa, while pygmy hippos (Choreopsis liberiensis) are found in West Africa. These animals can be mostly found in Liberia, with smaller populations in Guinea. 
📌 Ba pygmy hippos weigh around 550 pounds, the same as domestic pigs and lions. 
These animals are about one-tenth the size of an adult hippopotamus. (Freepik)
📌 These species require healthy forests and freshwater to survive. Fewer than 2,500 pygmy hippos are thought to ex in the world. 
📌 These are solitary and secretive creatures roaming around in the wild. Story continues below this ad
📌 They intimidate their potential predators or enemies opening jaws and baring their canine teeth. 
📌 They are a stout animal with a relatively small and rounded head and thick blackish skin. Just like the larger Nile Hippo, they excrete large reddish droplets that soften and protect their skin. 
📌 Pygmy hippos have four stomach chambers and spend a lot of time filling them — as much as 6 hours per day. They are herbivores feeding on grasses, roots, stems and leaves of young roots and trees and other vegetation. 
(With inputs from World Wide Fund &  Zoo New England)