The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsHighway to the cuddle zone: Harry the baby pygmy hippo
Meet Harry the hippo, a baby pygmy so small the average person could carry him around with ease.
Harry, named after Britain's Prince Harry, was born last week at the Cango Wildlife Ranch in South Africa, the Star reports. His handlers are being forced to hand-rear Harry after his mother Hilda refused to feed him. Keeping Harry healthy is a priority, as there are only an estimated 3,000 pygmy hippos left in the wild.
"Pygmy hippo mothers are either great moms or silly moms. She unfortunately has lost a few of her babies after she squashed them," Rob Hall, operations director at the ranch, told the Star.
Harry's handlers are certainly earning their pay, feeding him a mixture of milk and water every three hours, then bathing him after each feeding. "You need to keep his skin moist," Hall said.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/harry-baby-pgymy-hippo-wows-adorable-pics-205210883.html
How cute is this little guy? LOL. More pix at link.
Tripod
(854 posts)He is smaller then my Moms dog. LOL!
marzipanni
(6,011 posts)BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)That nose! That tum-tum! That widdle round butt! Those feetsies!
I'm SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEING to pieces!
Rhiannon12866
(202,970 posts)They don't even look real, they are so small and cute!
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)she will just want to put him in her petting zoo
Kali
(54,990 posts)as someone who makes a living from animals I just have to say - if I have a cow that is a "silly" mother and won't raise a calf on her own, she goes down the road. Not only is she an economic problem, but who wants to keep a trait like shitty mothering in a herd?
My question would be something to the effect of are they planning to keep that animal in a breeding herd?
oh, obligatory SQEEEEE!!! (I'm not heartless!)
Rhiannon12866
(202,970 posts)They probably aren't too fussy how they get them and it sure looks like he's getting great care. Hell, I'd volunteer to give him baths, wouldn't have to spend ages drying him like I do my dog - and he'd actually enjoy it!
OnyxCollie
(9,958 posts)starroute
(12,977 posts)The photos are formatted in a way that seems to prevent hot-linking, but check out the baby aardvark at http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2012/03/second-baby-aardvark-for-busch-gardens.html and the burrowing owlets at http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2012/03/burrowing-owlets-roost-in-teacups.html
There are more pictures of Harry the hippo at http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2012/03/south-africa-welcomes-prince-harry-a-brand-new-pygmy-hippo.html
And if you keep going back to older stories, the cuteness never lets up.