Meet Hugo The Baby Pygmy Hippo At John Ball Zoo

Come on Mom, let's play! Please Mom, give me some love here!

Mom! Mom! Mom! How about a swim!

What an adorable video from the John Ball Zoo. It's Hugo, the baby hippo, and he clearly wants mom's attention. Mom is having nothing of it.

Take a look at Hugo chasing his mom, Penelope, around.

What a wonderful addition to our Zoo.

👇 BELOW: SEE SOME OF THE NEW ANIMALS AT THE JOHN BALL ZOO 👇

The John Ball Zoo said,

"Hugo was born on September 3, 2025, to first-time parents Penelope and Jahari, He is the very first pygmy hippo calf ever born at John Ball Zoo! Weighing just 11 pounds at birth, he spent the first month of his life behind the scenes, learning to swim, hold his breath, and explore the world alongside his mom—just like pygmy hippos do in the wild.
With fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos left in the wild, Hugo’s birth is an important milestone for his species."

Okay, it does look like Penelope is tired. She has had a long, hard day with people staring at her and wants Hugo to go find something else to do.

Maybe he could play with his dad, Jahari. He is a 10-year-old male who came to the John Ball Zoo from the Pittsburgh Zoo in early 2023, and a proud new dad!

The Zoo says, "His calm, laid-back personality makes him a guest favorite. Pygmy hippos are naturally shy and mostly spend their time in the water, so seeing Jahari up close is a special treat.

He is part of the Species Survival Plan, a program that helps zoos across North America work together to protect endangered animals and ensure a healthy future for the pygmy hippo population."