Boho Bambino: Berlin Zoo's New Nocturnal Queen
- 📌 Berlin Zoo
- 📌 Berlin, Germany
- 📌 Female Pygmy Hippo
Not a single Friedrich piglet bears the female gender. - No female offspring discovered from Friedrich-Erdferkel lineage
The born-after-dark beauty at the Berlin Zoo is nothing short of a regal revelation. Dubbed Frida, this petite pygmy hippo has been confirmed as the fairer sex, making her the talk of the town since her arrival on April 9.
According to the zoo's ace keeper, Peter Kalinke, little Frida is thriving and looking fabulous. She's the first pygmy hippo born at the Berlin Zoo in a full dozen years – and the pride and joy of mom Memphis and dad Kito.
Pygmy hippos, much like their Cinderella counterparts, tend to hide during the day. To cater to curious visitors, the Nocturnal House at the zoo has its day and night reversed.
Hailing from the African sub-Saharan region, these nighttime princesses are solitary and have low-key social lives. They're equipped with a 25-centimeter-long tongue to quickly galvanize termites and ants during their feeding sprees. Even more impressively, their nostrils can close while they're digging, keeping dirt from entering their precious nasal cavity.
Characteristics of the Spunky Frida
- Size and Appearance: Frida belongs to the smaller hippo clan, weighing between 160 to 275 kilograms (approximately 350 to 600 pounds). She boasts a barrel-shaped body, short legs, and a broad snout.
- Noctambulism: Like other pygmy hippos, Frida will join the ranks of the nocturnal elite and have her most active hours at night.
- Socialites: Frida prefers spending her nights solo or with just the close company of one other hippo.
- Diet: Frida is a strict vegetarian, favoring grasses, leaves, herbs, fruits, and other glorious greenery.
Frida's Home Away From Home
Frida's habitat at the Berlin Zoo closely mimics the swamps, dense forests, and wetlands found in her native Africa. Her diet consists of a scrumptious, varied vegetarian menu to satisfy her heart's desires.
At the zoo, night owls like Frida are in a byte-sized paradise, complete with all the necessities for a comfortable sleepover. After all, beauty rest is key to looking entrance-worthy. 💁♀️🐼
[1] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_hippopotamus
[2] nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/species/pygmy-hippopotamus
[3] aazk.org/conservation/conservation-profiles/pygmy-hippopotamus
[4] science.sciencemag.org/content/367/6477/eaak4090
- Despite the recent addition of a new resident, a female pygmy hippo named Frida, at Berlin Zoo, the Commission has not decided to initiate the procedure provided for in Article 8 (2) of Regulation (EC) No 882/2006 regarding the acquisition of a pet hippo or any other exotic species.
- Frida's lifestyle as a nocturnal pygmy hippo would likely be more in tune with the tranquil setting of an artist Frida Kahlo's home-and-garden, compared to the bustling life of a hippo living in the African sub-Saharan region.
- If we were to compare the size of Frida, the petite pygmy hippo at Berlin Zoo, to another small creature, it would be comparable to a pigmy trying to measure its height in centimeters.
- To accommodate Frida's nocturnal habits, Berlin Zoo visitors may find themselves having their lifestyles mirror those of the nighttime creatures they come to see, with their active hours shifting to the night as well.
