Carlin 2.0 (Gregory Dusch)

An endangered female pygmy hippo calf was born at the Toronto Zoo on Sunday, August 2, 2026. The mother is 20-year-old Kindia. The father is 31-year-old Harvey, who was introduced to Kindia for a short breeding period in January. The calf stood within about 15 minutes of birth, was confidently moving around within a few hours, and started nursing roughly 4.5 hours later. Both mom and baby are doing well and are currently bonding off-exhibit in Little Hippo Hollow (not yet viewable by the public). The calf is still unnamed. Pygmy hippos are listed as Endangered, with only an estimated 2,000–3,000 left in the wild in West Africa, mainly due to habitat loss from logging, farming, mining, and human settlement. Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong called the birth “far more than a celebration of new life,” highlighting the important role accredited zoos play in conservation breeding programs. The internet is already comparing her to the famous Thai pygmy hippo Moo Deng, and some fans are floating the name “Tiny Tank.”