The baby river hippopotamus has become the main attraction of the Guadalajara Zoo in western Mexico.
The child, whose name has not yet been named, celebrated his first month of life on Thursday with a carrot, alfalfa and oatmeal cake eaten by his mother Tami.
The caretaker of these animals, Alma Ortega Flores, explained that the little hippopotamus is breastfed for the first eight months of life, although after about six months it becomes completely independent of its mother. < / p>
The little hippopotamus was born in captivity in the eighth month of pregnancy and during childbirth in the water. This is the third baby of Tami and Tartufo, one of the male hippos in this zoo.
In the early days, educators had to carry food to the water because the mother preferred to breastfeed and sleep with her baby, who is described as a very restless child who likes to explore the space in which she lives and scares pigeons.
The child tends to play and runs away while eating from his mother, who goes to look for him and growls loudly until the baby returns to her.
Visitors look for the baby and enjoy communicating with his mother or his movements from the water, clapping their hands and taking pictures.
The little hippopotamus weighs up to 50 kilograms, but in adulthood it will weigh from one and a half to three tons and will eat at least two kilograms of cereals, alfalfa, carrots and special foods a day.