Thiruvananthapuram: The Thiruvananthapuram city zoo has welcomed the arrival of a new hippopotamus calf. The calf was born late on Saturday to 13-year-old Vimala, who has since been moved, along with her newborn, to a special enclosure after other female hippos attempted to attack them.

The father of the newborn is Gokul, a male hippo who passed away last year due to liver disease. The calf is the result of a successful mating between Gokul and Vimala before his death.

With this birth, the zoo now houses four adult female hippos and a young female calf named Bubbly, who was born on April 7 last year to a hippo named Bindu. However, the zoo currently has no male hippos for breeding. Zoo authorities are hopeful that the newborn is male.

Hippopotamus calves are known to adapt to water immediately after birth. They can hold their breath for several minutes and are even breastfed underwater. Expecting mothers typically isolate themselves from the herd and deliver in shallow waters, returning to the group after the birth.