Baby Pygmy Hippo, Monifa, at the Taronga Zoo

A new, baby pygmy hippo was born at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney,Australia three weeks ago, on Oct. 15. She is the only Pygmy Hippo to be born at the zoo since her father 23 years ago. For a little hippo, she is certainly a survivor. The little Pygmy Hippo was named, Monifa which is translated from Nigerian to mean, I am Lucky. She certainly is lucky because the zookeepers, Renae Zammit and Tracy Roberts have been taking care of little Monifa full time since the day she was born. They say that without constant care the little Pygmy Hippo would have died within a few days. They are an inspiration to everyone who cares about the welfare of animals.

Baby Monifa is now able to walk by herself, drink by herself, and has doubled in size. Take a look at the baby Pygmy Hippo, Monifa in this video. You'll never forget this adorable, little Pygmy Hippo: Monifa, the Baby Pygmy Hippo Video

Here are a few facts about the endangered Pygmy Hippopotamus:

Its native habitat is western Africa along the Ivory Coast and into Nigeria. As the name implies, it is a much smaller version of the hippopotamus most people are familiar with. Although the Pygmy Hippo is smaller, it has longer legs than the large hippos. Its head is smaller and its ears are further down on the side of its head. The skin of the Pygmy Hippo is shiny because of a mucous that it secretes. This keeps the hairless body moist in the hot sun. The hippo's skin is a dark purple color and its cheeks are usually pink. The Pygmy Hippo spends most of the daylight hours sleeping in moist areas. Its waking hours are usually from sunset to about midnight.

The Pygmy Hippo eats only plants, digging them up in swampy areas. It also eats fruits and leaves. It has very strong teeth which can crush hard fruits.

Pygmy Hippos are ready to mate at about 4 or 5 years old. The female gives birth to only one calf at a time after seven months of pregnancy. At times, the mother will give birth to the calf in the water where it is most comfortable. The pygmy hippo is able to completely close its mouth and nose when it is under the water. The mother hides the calf in dense bushes, returning to feed it a few times per day. No one really knows how long the baby pygmy hippo stays with its mother.

Read more about this rare Pygmy Hippo at LiveNews.com and The Australian.