Haggis the baby pygmy hippo goes for a swim

Posted 19 Dec 2024

Haggis the baby pygmy hippo swimming

IMAGE: Laura Moore 2024

Haggis, Edinburgh Zoo’s eight-week-old pygmy hippo calf, has been enjoying daily sessions in her pool under the careful watch of mum Gloria. Pygmy hippos spend time in water to keep their skin moist and regulate their body temperature.  

The endangered species, native to West Africa, is incredibly rare, with an estimated 2,500 remaining in the wild due to habitat loss.  

Book zoo tickets online in advance and save

Notes to Editors

[ENDS]

Images

Hi-res image available at https://we.tl/t-z4XlLQiCbj   

These are free to use but please credit RZSS.

Notes to Editors

  • Haggis was born on Wednesday 30 October to parents Otto and Gloria
  • Otto and Gloria previously welcomed a calf, Amara, in 2021. Amara moved to ZSL London Zoo in 2023 as part of the European breeding programme for the endangered species

About the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (rzss.org.uk)

 The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is a wildlife conservation charity with a bold vision: a world which protects, values and loves nature  

Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park are gateways to the natural world through which people can experience nature, learn about the challenges facing wildlife and discover how we harness our expertise in conservation science and animal care alongside the unique power of the RZSS family – our teams, supporters and partners – to save animals from extinction

For further information, please contact comms@rzss.org.uk