The Dallas Zoo says its female hippo gave birth to a hippo calf early Saturday morning, but the calf did not survive.
The zoo brought two hippos together in March of last year in hopes that the pair would have calves.
The male hippo, Adhama, came from Los Angeles. The female, Boipelo, came from Albuquerque.
“We always put an emphasis on allowing animals to express natural behaviors, so we gave Boipelo space to interact with the baby immediately after the birth,” said Harrison Edell, Vice President of Animal Operations and Welfare in a news release. “The calf arrived just after 6:30 a.m., and while Boipelo did assist the calf to the surface of the pool, it was not soon enough. In reviewing the situation, we know for certain there was no safe way for the staff to intervene to help the calf.”
Zookeepers say they have known that Boipelo was expecting for some time now, but since it was her first pregnancy, and the outcome was unpredictable, they decided to wait until after the calf was born to make the announcement.
Workers had been monitoring the hippos through closed circuit cameras 24 hours a day, and had even obtained several sonogram images recently.
A press release says "Our hippo team is understandably upset but are focusing on Boipelo to help her through this difficult time. She is healthy following the birth, and our keepers and veterinary team will keep an eye on her to make sure she’s recovering well."
