A female hippo at the Mfuwe Lodge and Spa in Zambia has given birth to twins.
The Lodge, situated in southern Zambia’s Luangwa National Park, made the announcement on June 9 via Facebook with photos by Ian Salisbury, saying: “Two adorable new additions to the Mfuwe Lodge family, born four days ago in the hippo in front of the Lodge and Bush-Spa.”
Hippos mate in water and have a gestation period of eight months.
They isolate themselves from the group to give birth, returning after one to two weeks when the females in the group will help protect the young.
Young hippos can nurse underwater. A hippo will reach maturity between five and seven years.
It is very rare for a hippo to give birth to twins. There are only a handful of reported cases.
