Choeropsis liberiensis

Location in the Zoo: Jungle Odyssey

Pygmy hippos are found in West Africa and are endangered at a higher level than their colossal counterparts. Less than 3,000 are estimated to be left in the wild. The animals are primarily at risk due to forest and swamp habitat loss.

Despite looking like a mini version of its larger cousins, their adaptions and behavior is much different. They are semiaquatic but spend less time in the water than Nile hippos. Their feet are less webbed, and their head is rounded and narrower than its cousin. They are found by themselves or in pairs. Reclusive and nocturnal, the pygmy hippo is a difficult animal to study in the wild. Behaviors such as mating and giving birth may occur in water or on land. The pygmy hippo is herbivorous, thought to be feeding on ferns, broad-leafed plants, grasses, and fruit.

Pygmy hippos were unknown outside West Africa until the 19th century. The first pygmy hippo was brought to Europe in 1873. In 1927, tire magnate Harvey Firestone presented a pygmy hippo to President Calving Coolidge as a gift. The President, in turn, donated this hippo named Billy to Washington D.C.’s National Zoo. Billy is a common ancestor to most pygmy hippos living in American zoos today.