News / Animals
Help name Bristol Zoo’s new baby pygmy hippo
Keepers at Bristol Zoo are reaching out to members of the public to help them choose a name for the newest member of their pygmy hippo family who was welcomed into the world eight weeks ago.
The new baby, one of only 2,000 of the endangered species in the world, will be named Hugo, Kitto or Tunde.
The meaning for Kitto is “precious” in Swahili and the meaning for Tunde is “returns”. The names were put forward as the keepers didn’t initially think that he would survive.
The baby was born to parents Sirana and Nato on August 20 through the zoo’s international captive breeding programme. A pygmy hippo born last year died after five weeks.
Bristol Zoo’s curator of mammals, Lynsey Bugg, said: “We are really pleased with the calf’s progress – he has quite a cheeky character and is very playful with his mum. He loves the heated pool and is strong and very confident in the water now, swimming happily for a few hours at a time and resting alongside mum in the shallows.”
She added: “Now it’s time for the youngster to have his own name and we’d love it if the public could help us choose the best name to suit him.”
The poll for the public to vote for your favourite name for the youngster goes live from Wednesday afternoon and closes on Sunday evening. To vote, visit Bristol Zoo’s Facebook page.
Read more: Endangered pygmy hippo born at Bristol Zoo
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
