There’s a new crowd-puller in town at the John Ball Zoo, and his name is Hugo. The pygmy hippo calf, born just two months ago, is now making his public appearance alongside his mother, Penelope. Visitors can now engage in a quiet game of hide-and-seek with the cute duo from 10:30 AM until the zoo closes each day—as long as they’re willing to spot the pair during their frequent nap times. According to a Facebook post from the John Ball Zoo, getting a glimpse of Hugo might mean catching him peeking out from the hay, so eagle-eyed visitors should be on the lookout.
Zoo officials have expressed that they are prepped for an influx of visitors eager to see Hugo, and they advise purchasing tickets online to circumvent the longer lines that are sure to form. Zoo curator Tim Sampson, in a statement obtained by WZZM13, painted a picture of Hugo’s burgeoning personality: “Hugo is definitely a toddler, so you’re starting to see it come out. He’s pushing the limits. He’s playing. He gets excited, gets the zoomies for no reason, which is always fun to watch.”
Born on September 3, Hugo has been spending quality time with his mom behind the scenes, scaling the learning curve of swimming and breath-holding underwater. Although the calf is hitting milestones like any growing youngster, still working toward swimming independently and transitioning to solid food. The zoo’s officials mentioned that Hugo’s development is being closely monitored as part of his journey eventually to another institution that contributes to the Species Survival Program (SSP). The SSP aims at managing genetic diversity among North America’s endangered pygmy hippo population, which is estimated at fewer than 2,500 in the wild…