Zoo Life: Project Hippopotamus

The Toledo Zoo welcomed a new member to its animal family at about 11 o'clock one morning. A baby hippopotamus was born early in August. The 85 pound baby was born underwater. Water is a safe place for a hippo to be born. Still, the first thing the baby had to do was come up to the water's surface for air.
Like all baby hippos, he was born with his eyes open. He was also born with the instinct to nurse, or drink his mother's milk. He tried to nurse within the first hour. He was not successful until almost 8 hours after being born.