Flamingo Land today has announced the birth of a hippo calf. The female calf was born on the 8th of May 2024 at 1:42 am, and is the first successful calf born in the UK for seven years!
The team have named the calf Aurora as she was born the same week the Northern lights illuminated the night sky across the UK. She didn’t have an easy start. Zoo Veterinary Surgeon, Lisa Sedlaczek explained ‘After three days the calf was found very cold and the team immediately went to work warming the calf and providing fluids with Glucose. Sadly the condition of the calf was not improving and the next day she was in a life-threatening state, so she was transferred to Rainbow Equine Hospital, in Malton, North Yorkshire, for intensive care’. After 24 hours the calf was discharged back to Flamingo Land and has since been recovering with round the clock care provided by her dedicated team of keepers. Sam de Belle, Head Keeper at Flamingo Land, has been leading that effort ‘Caring for the calf has been a 24 hour task and only now have we been able to relax. The calf is starting to be bottle fed by the team and is growing every day, both in size and confidence’.
Only three zoos in the UK keep Nile hippopotamus and Flamingo Land has kept Nile hippopotamus since 2003.
Park Executive Ross Snipp said ‘Seven years ago we were told that Godzilla was the last remaining female of her lineage to have never bred, she is carrying the genetic material of four founders of the population and it was vital to the EEP that she produce offspring’. Godzilla (25 years old) is also one of the oldest first time mums and was paired with the father Hoover when he arrived in December 2022 from Whipsnade Zoo.
Now Aurora is getting stronger she will be starting to spend time exercising outdoors and guests should be able to see her at the hippo habitat. Keepers are hopeful that once strong enough they should be able to mix her with her mother.
Flamingopics is hoping to see Aurora soon so keep a look out on our socials.
