VIDEO: Baby pygmy hippopotamus makes public debut at zoo exhibit

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT/Gray News) - A baby hippopotamus born earlier this month at a zoo in Virginia has been moved to a public exhibit.

According to the Metro Richmond Zoo, the pygmy hippopotamus came just in time for Christmas and guests can view the calf bonding with its mother.

A spokesperson for the zoo said the exhibit features viewing windows in the indoor pool area, allowing the public to see mom and baby every day.

Officials with the zoo said the yet-to-be-named baby is expected to stay in the specific area with its mother, Iris, until getting large enough to navigate the outdoor habitat.

The zoo said the baby also went swimming for the first time this week.

“Iris showed her baby around the new area and then demonstrated how to enter the pool,” the zoo shared in a news release. “The calf’s natural instincts kicked in and she started swimming immediately.”