The Pygmy Hippos and the Dama Gazelles

_Elsa_

“Looks like the Pygmy Hippos [Choeropsis liberiensis] are having fun,” says Harry. 

‘Pygmy Hippos typically grows to be 5 feet tall and up to 350 pounds. Their lifespan is 30 to 50 years. They are usually a blend of light and dark gray. Pygmy hippos prefer to spend their time in swamps and rivers found in the Tropical Rain Forest. 

Pygmy hippos have a natural sunscreen to protect their thin skin which sun burns easily. They secrete a pinkish liquid that acts as a natural sunscreen to protect the skin. Despite efforts to learn more, this little hippo has managed to remain elusive in the natural environment. Most of what has been learned about the hippo is from zoos. Pygmy hippos are herbivores. Their diet consists of leafy greens, grasses, leaves, shoots, and fallen fruits. 

Gestation is six to seven months. A single calf is born at a birth weight of 14 lbs. Mothers give birth in a den or in dense vegetation. At five months old, the calf weighs ten times its birth weight.

Pygmy hippos are endangered with less than 3,000 left in the wild. Biggest threat is loss of natural habitat.’ (Source) 

“And now we come to the Dama Gazelleas [Gazella dama],” says Harry.

‘Dama Gazelles are 3 to 4 feet tall. Their average lifespan is 10 to 12 years. The Dama Gazelle is characterized by their white back end, variably brown color of rump, and slightly curved (lyre) horns. 

This gazelle is found in the desert, grasslands, savanna, and sub-desert steppes.  Dama gazelles may stand on their hind legs to eat from acacia trees and other plants as high as six feet from the ground.

The dama gazelle is the largest species of gazelle. Dama gazelles are diurnal and, though they can survive long periods of draught, need more water than other desert creatures. Dama gazelles are grazers, feeding primarily on herbs, shrubs, and coarse desert grasses. 

The mating season for this species is typically between March and June. After a gestation period of 198 days, a single baby is born. Within a few days, the infant is strong enough to follow the mother. After only a week, it is able to run as fast as the adults. The dama gazelle is the largest species of gazelle.’ (Source) 

Let’s continue - The Red Pandas

Start at the beginning – The girls go to the zoo