First Baby Hippo Born in Bali

After a whopping 8 months of pregnancy, Dita has given birth to Bali`s first calf-born at Bali Safari & Marine Park. Born on 18 May 2010, the still-unnamed male baby hippo was born underwater at a weigh between 20-40 kg and must swim to the surface to take their first breath.

Dita, a 12-year old hippopotamus is brought from Taman Safari Indonesia Cisarua to Bali Safari & Marine Park since 2007. She is located in Lake Manyara as the home of hippopotamus in the park.

The herd keeper, Wayan Surata said that the calf`s mother, Dita, is very protective to the newborn. Wayan noticed something different with this mammal when the Hippo near to delivering the calf, `Dita doesn`t want to eat as much as she eats regularly. And stayed inside the pond longer than normal,` he explained.

Tim Husband the Curator of Life and Science Department said he was happy with the new calf. `The keepers take cares this Hippo very well. That makes this male baby hippo healthy,` he said. Hippos are herbivorous animal that very unpredictable. In their habitat of sub-Saharan Africa, hippos often attack anyone that occupies their territory. They do not like any other animal in their area. Hippos are the third-largest living land mammal, after elephants and white rhinos. Until now they are still threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their ivory.

As a conservation and education institution, Bali Safari & Marine Park is keeping the effort of breeding endangered animals. Not only to enrich the population in the park but also contribute to population of endangered animals in the world.