BIRTH OF A HIPPOPOTAMUS.

Marlborough Express, Volume LX, Issue 230, 29 September 1926, Page 4

BIRTH OF A HIPPOPOTAMUS.

F1NE HEALTH i YOUNGSTER, FIRST OOOASION IN NEW ZEALAND.

By Telegraph—

-Own Correspondent.)

AUCKLAND1, Sept. 29. CHAKA. — On Sept. 27th, in the Uig Pond, to Mr and Mrs Ohuka (nee Bella), a son; both doing well. Everybody is as pleaised as punch, but of coiursa they don't go to the trouble of putting in a birth notice uhen these little events happen at the zon. Visitors will l'ecognise ihe names oi the two big hippos who are such a soui'ce of iuterest. The happy event occurred on Monday night, and apparently in the water, but no one knows exactly, when all that is definitely known is that in the morning there, was a ffne, healthy youngster b asking in the sun on the mud r Mr L. T. Griffin, curator of the Zoo, was particularly pleased, and m conversation with a reporter yesterday morning he said it was tlie first time a hippo liad come to light in New Zealand.. In addition to the interest, attaching; from that reason there was also- the fact that a hippo of 'three to five years of age was worth from £450 to £500, so that the progress of the little stranger would be watched with in-tel-est. Jt was known that hippos had been bred in confinement in Melbourne, and they had usually done well, so' there was no reason why the Auckland Zoo should not look forward to rearing the youngstor

There was always tlie dahger, hpwever, that the mother might smother the young one in the v-ater. Mothers in tlie animal kingdom have tlie rather disconcerting uabit of absolutely neglecting their new-born babes for several hours after birth. Mr Griffin says that Bella was true to this instinct yesterday morning, and the Zoo authorities were rather anxious as to- what was going to happen, as they haven't yet evolved a Plunkot nurse system at th© Zoo, but later 011 * during the morning she' g;ave it the usual maternal attentioh and seemed quite proud of lier achievement. So far OI i aka has not shown "any symptoms of the proud father. lii spite of the fact that he is somewhat youngcr than his spouse, their married life has been most liarmonious. Chafca (who got his name from a Zulu chief) i® probably not more than. five years old, while Bella is some two and a half years older. A young hippo wiil bo a most attractive exhib-it at tlie Zoo, as it will be unique, not only for Auckland, but for the Dominion, and naturally the authorities will watcli his progress with quite as much anxiety ao Dr Truby King shows at Karitane.