A pygmy hippo calf makes Moo Deng an aunt at Khao Kheow
Moo Manow, 14, gave birth on November 4 to a calf whose father is Moo Tun, Moo Deng's older brother. Vets say mother and calf are well, and the zoo has not named the baby yet.
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A pygmy hippo was born on November 4 at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, and the calf makes Moo Deng an aunt. Thai PBS reported the birth on November 5, 2026, after Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin announced it. The mother is Moo Manow, 14. The father is Moo Tun, 7, an older brother of Moo Deng.
Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi told the minister that veterinarians checked mother and calf and found both in good health. The calf was already moving and exploring, with Moo Manow staying beside it. The zoo has left them together. Moo Manow is guarding the calf and keeping staff at a distance, which the report described as ordinary maternal behavior. A public introduction is planned. Thai PBS did not give the calf's name or sex.
Moo Tun and Moo Manow had a marriage ceremony on January 24, 2025. Princess Ubolratana joined the procession and signed as a witness. The news is this calf. It is not a new count of pygmy hippos in the wild.
For the classroom
A baby pygmy hippo was born on November 4, 2026, at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand. Thai PBS reported it the next day. The mother is Moo Manow, who is 14. The father is Moo Tun, who is 7 and an older brother of Moo Deng. The zoo director told the environment minister that vets found the mother and the baby healthy. The calf is already moving around, and Moo Manow stays close and does not want staff too near. The zoo plans to show the calf to visitors later. It has not said whether the baby is male or female, or the name.
- Why might keepers leave a new hippo calf alone with its mother at first?
- What is one thing a zoo can do for a wild animal besides letting people look at it?
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Chonburi, ThailandZoosWildlife conservationGood news on November 5
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