Vic: Lucky hippo finds new home in Melbourne

AAP General News (Australia)
08-02-2009
Vic: Lucky hippo finds new home in Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Aug 2 AAP - Call it a lucky day for Melbourne animal lovers.

A baby pygmy hippo has found a new home in the city after a shaky start in Sydney.

Monifa, who's name means "I am lucky" in Nigerian, was born weighing just 3.8kg at
the Taronga Zoo.

Zoo keepers provided 24-hour care for her by sleeping and hand-feeding the piglet-sized hippo.

Nine months later, Monifa has grown to 65kg and developed a healthy appetite for grains
and fruit.

She even eats her vegetables.

The rare hippo will be officially welcomed to the Melbourne Zoo on Sunday with a tour
around her exhibit.

Her father Timmy was no stranger to Melbourne. He lived at the zoo for many years until
he was transferred to Sydney as part of a regional breeding program.

Melbourne Zoo director Kevin Tanner says he's delighted to welcome Monifa to her new
home as her father was such a favourite among visitors.

Pygmy hippos live in lowland African rainforests and are considered a vulnerable species
with only 3,000 animals still surviving in the wild.

The hippos reach full size when they're four or five years old, weighing about 200kg.

AAP sbl/mmr

KEYWORD: HIPPO AM UPDATE

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