BABY HIPPO ARRIVES AT AUCKLAND ZOO

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6811, 15 January 1929, Page 5

BABY HIPPO ARRIVES AT AUCKLAND ZOO

EIGHT STONE SON TOR BELLA AND CHARKA. An eight-stone baby, possibly a boy, now noses round the huge bulk of Bella the benign-looking female hippopotamus wallowing in her pond out at the Auckland Zoo. The interesting event took place early on Saturday morning. The mother is not so bright as usual, but the superintendent (Mr. T. Aldridge) is quite satisfied with the way things are going. “She is an excellent mother,” he remarked. It will be remembered that in September, 1926, when Beila brought the first miniature of herself into the world, the father got annoyed about something, and did the poor little thing to death the day after it was born. These births only happen every two years, under the most favourable circumstances, so that Zoo authorities take the keenest interest in them. In London Zoo, where only one hippo boby was born in 50 years, they made almost as much fuss over it as they would over an heir to the throne.

Charka, the father, who murdered his one-day old infant in 1926, has during the past three months been discreetly withdrawn, and has occupied a bachelor pond higher up, but the- iron grating between did not prevent him taking note of w'hat went on in the old home. "Docs he know what happened in the next pond ? " said Mr. Aldridge. "Well, I rather think he does; he has been very restless all the morning." Charka is only live years ot aw, while Della is two years older. He yawned several times in a most bored manner while the mother and child were getting all the attention. One ; of the bystanders, remembering the fate of the last baby, suggested, when Charka opened about a square yard of mouth, showing teeth as thick as fencing posts, that perhaps it was not a yawn. In order to accommodate the little stranger the water in Bella's pond was lowered, and when he walks round hia back is just out of water. Most of Bella’s bulk stands out, even when she is lying on her side, which seemed to be her favourite attitude, with ono half her head under water, but with the eye in the other half frequently seeking her offspring, nosing about alongside her. The baby is a perfect replica in miniature of his and does not give that suggestion of "ail head and feet" that a puppy does, for instance.

He ivas born under water, feeds under water, and will probably spend the next week in the same damp manner. When the time comes for his first jaunt ashore he will make it a pick-a-back. The mother will manoeuvre under water until she gets the littlo one on her back, and from that elevated opst he will survey the scenery, as he will not have found his land-legs. No trouble is anticipated whon tho time comes to introduce the baby to its father. The contretemps in 3926 was due to the fact that the parents were left in tho same pond—which is not correct etiquette iu hippo circles. This time, things were managed differently, and it is confidently expected to rear this interesting little newcomer.