Hippopotamuses are highly territorial animals and can be quite short-tempered. Their territorial behavior has been responsible for many tragic accidents around the world. Because they are herbivores and appear slow-moving when on land, many people assume that hippos are gentle. The reality is quite different. Hippos can move surprisingly fast and are highly aggressive when threatened. With a bite force that can reach 800 kg/cm², a hippopotamus can easily overpower any challenger that dares to threaten its territory.
And yet, the moment his keepers called his name, little Ca jumped up from his cool water bed. He called for his mother to come along with him to the feeding area, where his keepers were waiting and where many visitors had gathered to watch.
Ca has no idea what this activity is called. He only knows that it means he gets to eat, receive applause and cheers, and, most importantly, have his mouth and teeth checked.
On September 25, 2023, Ca was born to the great excitement of the entire Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens team.
For safety reasons, breeding areas for some animal species are usually screened off to provide privacy and protect the animals from unwanted disturbances from their surroundings. Ca's story was quite different. From the moment he felt the cool water as he emerged from his mother's body, he was already able to observe the many activities taking place around him.
Although he did not understand much, Ca could sense everyone's attention from the way people exclaimed in excitement, pointed at him, and constantly turned their cameras in his direction. Ca loved it. He tried to lift his head as high as possible above the water to pose for his audience, and he was more than happy to show visitors how excited he was and how much he loved his mother.
Even so, Ca was always puzzled. Why wouldn't his mother, Bo, let him get close to his father, Chia? Why did his parents have to stay apart?
Little did he know that this is also how hippopotamuses live in the wild. A mother hippo will separate from the herd and seek out a shallow body of water to give birth. She will only bring her calf back to the herd once the bond between mother and calf has grown strong, the calf is able to walk and swim confidently enough to withstand the disturbance caused by the herd moving through the water, and is capable of protecting itself or escaping when danger arises.
Ca was luckier than many hippo calves. His father was right there beside him when he was born. Even so, for Ca's safety, the two were kept apart by a barrier. The keepers even created a large viewing window where his father could put his head through and interact with Ca.
Every day, Ca follows his mother onto the land. He happily sleeps on a pile of grass that serves as his food, occasionally hearing his parents checking in on each other while they eat.
Ca is growing fast, and he is a very clever little hippo. He understands everything his mother shows him.
When he saw his mother resting her head against the bars and opening her mouth wide for the keepers to examine her teeth, he immediately tried to copy her. And his mother is quite something. She can open her mouth incredibly wide, displaying all of her long teeth while allowing the keepers to carefully examine every part of her mouth, much to the delight of the visitors.
Ca wants to give it a try too.
He opens his mouth wide, revealing his little incisors and newly emerging canine teeth, which have only just begun to appear above his gums. He cannot open his mouth as wide as his mother or keep it open for as long, so he has to open and close it several times.
Every time he does a good job, the keepers reward him with fruit. His absolute favorite is watermelon.
His mother can eat an entire large watermelon in one go. With just one loud crunch, she can crush the whole thing. Ca, on the other hand, can only manage small slices of watermelon at a time. He is still getting used to the ticklish sensation of a toothbrush or a keeper's hand touching the inside of his mouth.
Ca's parents have had three calves, and Ca is the youngest.
His older brother, Hột Mít, is now growing into a young adult. He has his own space and is learning to live independently. His eldest brother has already left to start a family of his own and now lives with his mate at Dam Sen. Word has it that his mate has also given birth to an adorable little hippo.
And here's a little fun fact about Ca: he is a three-nationality hippo!
His father came from Germany, his mother came from South Africa, and Ca himself was born in Vietnam.
Ca understands Vietnamese very well, and he even knows some English. Every time he comes onto land for his dental check-up, the keepers simply say, “Up!” and Ca knows exactly what to do: open his mouth.
After all, that's what Mom does too.
