Akobi, meaning “first born” in Yoruba. Photo: Jackelin Reyna, courtesy of the Houston Zoo
The Houston Zoo has a new pygmy hippo to obsess over.
Meet Akobi, a 4-and-a-half-year-old, 477-pound male pygmy hippopotamus who recently came from San Francisco as part of a breeding program.
He's settling in his new home next to the bongos.
Why it matters: The cuteness of pygmy hippos is all the rage after Moo Deng, the beloved hippo from Thailand, charmed fans worldwide.
Fun facts: Pygmy hippos are considerably smaller than common hippos, weighing around 400 to 600 pounds and standing just 3 to 5 feet tall, compared to the massive 3,000- to 4,000-pound common hippos.
Pygmy hippos forage mostly at night and can spend up to six hours a day feeding.
