Hippo hooray! Pygmy hippo born at Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh Zoo has got a new addition to its family...a little bit earlier than expected.

The pygmy hippo calf arrived at the end of July, about two weeks earlier than the keepers and vets had estimated.

"It was a real surprise to come in and find a new face tucked up with mum", said hoofstock team leader Jonny Appleyard.

The baby is currently bonding with its mum Gloria away from the public.

Keepers will find out if it's a boy or a girl after health checks.

Pygmy hippos are native to West Africa and are an endangered species.

The animals are suffering from the destruction of their habitat because of logging and mining.

The London Zoological Society believes there are only between 2,000 and 2,500 left in the wild.

Which means the team at Edinburgh Zoo are even more delighted at the calf's arrival.

Swampy forests are their home of choice. Although pygmy hippos are related to the common river hippo found in East Africa, they're only found in swampy forests or rivers in West Africa.

You'll rarely see them in the wild. It's not just because there's so few of them. Pygmy hippos are very quiet and are only active at night. It means research about them is mostly done at zoos, like with Moo Deng.

They eat LOTS. Experts believe pygmy hippos could eat for at least six hours a day. The herbivores eat grasses, roots and fruits.

They're actually not THAT small. Pygmy hippos are one-tenth of the size of standard hippo but they still weigh about the same as a male lion.

They shine from pink goo. Pygmy hippos are shiny all over because of tiny mucus glands on their skin which release pink goo. The goo keeps them hydrated and protected from the sun, as well as giving their greenish-black skin a rosy glow.