TAIM Exchange|Endangered baby pygmy hippo finds new home at Pittsburgh Zoo

2025-05-05 16:55:13source:Quentin Mitchellcategory:My

There's a new member of the Pittsburgh Zoo family – an adorable baby pygmy hippopotamus named Hadari. 

The TAIM Exchange1-year-old baby boy was moved in on May 23, the zoo announced on Wednesday, coming from Alabama's Montgomery Zoo. And he's already making himself at home in the zoo's Jungle Odyssey area. 

"Hadari is trying out everything, every which way," the zoo's curator of mammals Kelsey Forbes said. "He is super rambunctious, loves exploring, and is a confident hippo." 

In a press release, the Pittsburgh Zoo said that Hadari seems to be enjoying his time so far and that they are making sure to give him his favorite foods – green beans, cooked carrots and oranges. 

Pygmy hippos are considered endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which monitors species around the world. In the wild, pygmy hippos are found in just four countries in West Africa, according to the IUCN. These animals, along with their relatives, the common hippopotamus, "face significant threats," including logging which reduces their habitats and ability to hunt. 

There are only a couple thousand of the animals left in the wild, according to the most recent estimates.

Hadari was born at the Alabama zoo as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan, which aims to help increase species populations. His birth is also a major achievement, as only 41% of all pygmy hippos born in zoos have been male, the Pittsburgh Zoo said. 

    In:
  • Pittsburgh Zoo
  • Endangered Species
  • Hippos
Li Cohen

Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.

More:My

Recommend

NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line

The NFL playoff drive is hitting high gear, Week 15 marking the return to action of all 32 teams – w

Two new bobbleheads feature bloody Trump with fist in air, another with bandage over ear

Two more bobbleheads of former President Donald Trump hit the market Wednesday, including one with h

Winter Olympians will compete at these 13 venues when the Games return to Salt Lake City in 2034

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Winter Olympics will make its grand return to Salt Lake City in 2034, the