Hippo hooray! Sisaket zoo celebrates new exotic addition

Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park Zoo in Sisaket yesterday joyfully welcomed a new member to its family of exotic animals—a hippopotamus calf.

Veterinarians have not yet determined the gender of the calf, as the protective mother is keeping them at a distance from her newborn conceived at 6am, yesterday, October 13.

Following the announcement of the calf’s birth, the zoo experienced a significant increase in visitors, many eager to see the newborn hippo.

Zoo administrators are optimistic that the calf will become a major attraction, similar to Moo Deng, the pygmy hippopotamus calf at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri, which has gained international fame on social media.

“We haven’t named the calf yet, so we’d like to invite the public and tourists to join us in naming it,” a zoo representative stated.

The zoo has urged visitors to refrain from tossing food into the hippo enclosure, as hippos are herbivores. Those wishing to donate food can leave it with the hippo’s caregivers, the representative added.

A young visitor, accompanied by his parents, expressed his excitement upon seeing the newborn hippo. He mentioned his delight in discovering that his hometown zoo now boasts an adorable hippo calf, a sight he had never seen before.

He suggested the calf be named Nong Moo Khrob, reported Bangkok Post.

Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park Zoo is open every day from 8.30am to 4pm. Admission fees are 35 baht (US$1) for adults and 10 baht (US$0.3) for children. The zoo is home to a variety of animals, including monkeys, bears, crocodiles, deer, pheasants, ostriches, and snakes.

In related news, Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Sri Racha announced the arrival of a newborn female pygmy hippo.

Born on July 10, the baby hippo was introduced to the public on July 25. The zoo’s director, Narongwit Chotchoy, confirmed the birth at 10.30am, noting that both the mother, 25 year old Jona, and father, 24 year old Tony are in good health, along with their new offspring.