Pachydermis Stormborn: Taipei Zoo baby hippo named after the rain

Want China Times, CNA and Staff Reporter 2014-11-23

Baby hippo Yu and mother Najuzhong at Taipei Zoo, Nov. 21. (Photo

courtesy of Taipei Zoo)

Taipei Zoo said Friday that a baby hippopotamus was born in a pond at the zoo as rain poured down on the night of Nov. 16.

The baby hippo, currently smaller than its mother's head, was named Yu, which means rain, and its mother's name Najuzhong was added, the zoo said on its official website.

The zoo said its veterinary staff observed last Sunday afternoon that the mother had gone into labor and they monitored her until she gave birth at about 10pm.

Since then, Najuzhong Yu has been sticking close to its mother's side but can already dive, the zoo said.

The calf's sex has not yet been determined because the mother would not allow the veterinary staff to get too close, the zoo said.

It said the mother and newborn are being kept in the Asian rainforest display area because the enclosure for its African animals is under renovation.

The best time for visitors to see the baby hippo is when the mother leaves the pond to feed. "If you're lucky, you may have a chance to see her breastfeeding," a zoo keeper said.