Baby hippo dies at San Diego Zoo
SAN DIEGO -- Sad news from the San Diego Zoo: a 5-day-old hippo calf died Thursday.
The hippo was found by zookeepers in the morning, with its mother, Funani, nearby. Hippo mothers are known to be particularly protective of their young.
The male calf was 30-year-old Funani’s fifth baby, her first calf since 2011. The calf had gone on exhibit Wednesday with Funani and her mate, Otis, and was said to have been doing well.
The river hippopotamus is a threatened species, imperiled in the wild by poachers and predators.
A necropsy is planned to determine the cause of the hippo’s death. The last calf born to Funani is now at the Los Angeles Zoo.
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