How Edinburgh Zoo’s ‘feisty’ endangered hippo is celebrating her first Christmas
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Across the world this morning, millions of children have woken up to presents Father Christmas left for them under the tree. As the youngsters rip open the wrapping paper and cards in great anticipation and excitement, other children will be celebrating their first Christmas with their families after being born just under a year ago.
Over in Edinburgh, proud parents Otto and Gloria are no different – except their ‘infant’ weighs in well over 18kg and lives in the local zoo. Haggis, the pygmy hippo, was born on October 30 at Edinburgh Zoo during the height of Moo Deng mania. Despite her distant Thai cousin being the first to capture the world’s hearts, the ‘wee legend’ has already made her mark at the zoo and shown her feisty personality.
![[hippo Haggis swimming]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234127397-a5bb.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Metro spoke to Penny Jack, a hoofstock keeper who works with Haggis, about how the zoo will celebrate the baby hippo’s first Christmas. Hoofstock workers help with animals including giraffes, hippos, rhinos, zebras, antelope and other hooved species.
Jack told Metro that Edinburgh Zoo’s newest little lady is getting along swimmingly in her enclosure and growing more each day. Normally hippos are born overnight, with the birth captured on the zoo’s cameras in their enclosures. But mum Gloria surprised her keepers by giving birth outside in the big pool, which hadn’t been drained for winter yet.
After Haggis entered the world, Johnny, the team leader, helped grab wee Haggis from the water and ensure she was in a nice, warm, hay bed. Jack said: ‘Gloria is a very good mum. This isn’t her first youngster – she had a previous baby in 2021 named Amara who lives at the London Zoo – so Gloria knows what she’s doing.
![[hippo Haggis swimming]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234127396-690f.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
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