Los Angeles Zoo welcomes birth of baby hippo in 26 years

Los Angeles: For the first time in 26 years, the Los Angeles Zoo welcomed the birth of a healthy hippopotamus calf.

According to the zoo, the baby hippopotamus was born Friday after the mother10-year-old Mara went into labour around 1pm on the same day.

The birth came as a surprise during Halloween although staffers had noticed the mother hippo gained weight, which made them suspect she was pregnant.

While the mother came to the zoo in December from Topeka, Kansas, the father is a 3-year-old named Adhama, who arrived from the San Diego Zoo last year.

Zoo officials said the sex of the new hippo is yet to be determined. But the baby appears to be doing well and is bonding with the mom.