Lifespan
Up to 43 years
under human care
Wildlife Reserves Singapore Group
Lifespan
under human care
Diet
leaves, roots, ferns and fallen fruit
Habitat
and streams in lowland forests
Range
Upper Guinea Forest of West Africa
To strip a tree of its young shoots, wild pygmy hippos would start at a twig’s base and pull it through the mouth like a leafy kebab, shaking the head throughout. They’d also stand on their hind legs to feed on ferns growing within palms. In Liberia, they are known to be partial to a small, vine-like herb known as ‘Deewinkon’. Sweet potato leaves, okra, cassava and rice seedlings from farms at the forest edge are eaten. In Sierra Leone, they also take fish from traps.
To maintain a healthy population of pygmy hippos under human care, there is a need to enhance and diversify their gene pool, so as to ensure healthy and viable offspring are produced. To date, we have sent a total of 24 pymgy hippos to zoos around the world to participate in global breeding programmes.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
At relatively low risk of extinction
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
At high risk of extinction in the wild
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
Survives only in captivity
No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity
