Pygmy Bypo was born in Edinburgh: npr

As you move over Mu Den, there is a new Pygmy in town.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo announced on Monday that its tiny pygmy hippo, Haggis, was born to parents Otto and Gloria on October 30th.

Johnny Appleyard, head of the hoofstock team at Edinburgh Zoo, said the newborn calf was doing very well.

“It’s amazing to see her personality already starting to shine through,” Appleyard continued in a statement released by the zoo.

Visitors already enamored with photos and videos of the shiny, chubby creature will have to wait a while before trekking to see her in person.

“The first 30 days are so critical to her development that the pygmy hippo enclosure will be closed for the time being so that we can closely monitor mother and baby during this sensitive period,” Ms Appleyard said.

The pygmy hippopotamus, which is native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, is an endangered animal, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are an estimated 2,000 left in the world, mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast, due to habitat loss and bushmeat hunting, according to the Pygmy Hippo Foundation.

The birth of haggis comes as the world is preoccupied with the birth of Thailand’s Moo Daeng. She has become such a sensation that visitors can only see her for five minutes on select days of the week.

“Although the Thai mooden has become a viral global icon, it’s important to remember that the pygmy hippopotamus is extremely rare,” says Appleyard. “It’s great to have our own little ambassadors here in Edinburgh to connect with visitors and help raise awareness of the challenges species face in the wild.”