A new member has joined the hippopotamus family at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Gazipur. A mother hippo at the park gave birth to a calf on 14 October.

Considering the animals' safety and other factors, the authorities announced the birth to the media on Wednesday, 25 October. With the new arrival, the park now has four hippos.

A calf was previously born at the park on 21 October 2021, and it is still alive. The park authorities have not yet been able to determine the sex of either calf born there.

Since birth the new calf has stayed in the water, now and then raising its head beside its mother. A hippo can stay under water for up to five minutes on one dive. The animals are nocturnal, spend most of the day in water and occasionally come onto land to feed.

Rafiqul Islam, the safari park's officer in charge, said the calf is often seen in the pool set aside for it. Its mother herself is guarding it round the clock. "Considering the nutrition of the calf and its mother, we have increased their feed. Our hope is that if the new calf is female, it is growing up free of danger," he said.

According to the park authorities, the hippopotamus is a herbivorous, nocturnal animal from Africa. It is known as the second-largest land animal after the elephant. Though it looks short beside other animals, it is very heavy. In 2006 the animal was listed internationally as threatened.

An adult hippo can weigh up to 1,500 kg and, despite its bulk, can run at 30 km an hour. Gestation lasts 240-280 days, and a mother can give birth to one calf every two years. Hippos reach adulthood at five to seven years. In captivity they can live 25-35 years, and longer in the wild.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.