An endangered baby pygmy hippo has been born at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, UK.

Flora the pygmy hippo, who has been battling cancer, gave birth to a baby boy on Boxing Day. Keepers were elated with the news as there shortage of male pygmy hippos within the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme.

Senior Keeper Steve White said, "Flora's calf was due on Christmas Day, but the little one kept us waiting until the evening of Boxing Day. We knew Flora must be going into labour because she went off her food – which never happens! After a six hour labour, the calf was born, a 7 kilo, perfect miniature of his mum. Since then, the baby hippo has been happily waddling around and seems to love spending time in water. On his first weigh-in, he was so slippery it was like picking up a big bar of soap!

"We're delighted for Flora, who has come through a difficult year and is now proving once again to be an attentive, experienced mum. She's contributed three calves to the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme and she'll now retire from breeding," he added.

Video courtesy of Whipsnade Zoo / Zoological Society of London

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