Melbourne Zoo's baby pygmy hippopotamus is certainly melting a few hearts.
Under the watchful eye of his mother, Petro, the adorable 3-week-old, named Obi, made big progress when he ventured out into the deeper water of the exhibit and went for his first swim.
"He loves the water and spends hours in the small pool, so he is ready for the next step," Wild Sea Manager Justin Valentine said in a press release.
Although this little baby looks like he was a little hesitant to jump in the water right away, he quickly got the hang of it and started swimming. His reaction to jumping in the water for the first time was absolutely precious!
Obi, which means "heart" in a regional language from Nigeria, is the first pygmy hippopotamus to be born at the zoo since 1981. He now weighs 13 kilograms. (He weighed about 5 kilos at birth.)
Petre has been an excellent and attentive mother, helping him with his swimming.
According to the zoo, pygmy hippos "are classified as endangered in the wild, however, due to their dense rainforest habitat their exact population size is unknown."
Doesn't this adorable baby hippo just bring a huge smile to your face?
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Under the watchful eye of his mom, 3-week old baby hippo Obi tests the waters.
The baby pygmy hippo makes his first splash on display at Melbourne Zoo.
Obi ventured out with his mom, Petre, for a swim in the big pool for the first time.
