08/21/2026
Your Toronto Zoo is thrilled to announce the name of the three-week-old female pygmy hippo calf and this little Canadian icon is every bit as sweet, spirited and sassy as her name suggests.
Please join us in welcoming… Maple 🍁
Born right here at your Toronto Zoo, Maple is already making a big impression. As Canada’s only pygmy hippo calf - and one of just three pygmy hippos in the country, alongside her parents Kindia and Harvey, she truly is Canada’s baby.
Her name celebrates the place she was born, the country that has embraced her and the warm sense of connection she has inspired from coast to coast. Like the maple leaf itself, Maple represents something uniquely Canadian: beloved, resilient and shared by us all.
We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from our community since her birth on August 2nd. Thank you for helping us celebrate this remarkable little calf - and for joining us as we continue to watch Maple grow, explore and charm her way into hearts around the globe.
In celebration, we have introduced a limited-edition pygmy plush toy with her name specially embroidered on it, along with select apparel, available for purchase at the Zootique Gift Shop and online. The best part? 10% of all proceeds from this special keepsake will be donated to our charity partner, the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy.
Kindia and Harvey, and Maple play an important role as ambassadors for their species. Every visit to see them is a chance to learn more about pygmy hippos and the challenges they face in the wild and how collective conservation efforts can make a difference.
Donor support helps to secure a brighter future for Endangered species like the new pygmy hippo calf. Make a gift today to support the Toronto Zoo’s conservation science efforts and the well-being of all animals under the Zoo’s care. To learn more and give securely through our fundraising partner, the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy, please visit wildlifeconservancy.ca/pygmyhippo.
While not currently viewable to guests, Maple has spent the last few weeks bonding with mom behind the scenes. She has tripled in weight since her birth, now weighing 10.8kg, (about 23 pounds). She may be tiny, but her personality is definitely starting to show! She loves staying close to mom and, while she is starting to grow teeth, is still nursing exclusively. She is becoming more curious and adventurous by the day and has been exploring the water, practicing her breath holds.
Pygmy hippos are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with only 2,000 to 3,000 individuals remaining in the wild. Native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, they rely on dense, undisturbed habitats to survive. Unfortunately, these habitats are under threat due to logging, mining, agriculture, and human settlement, which fragment the landscape and make it harder for wildlife to thrive. Hunting pressures also continue to impact wild populations.
Deep in the rainforests of Ivory Coast, conservation researchers are working to better understand and protect these elusive animals in their natural habitat. Researchers from the Institute for Breeding Rare and Endangered African Mammals (IBREAM), alongside their Ivorian colleagues at The Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS), are using innovative tools and field techniques to study pygmy hippos, including camera traps and detection dogs, helping uncover new insights about a species that has long remained hidden from human eyes.
After years of searching, researchers captured a rare glimpse of a mother pygmy hippo and her calf moving through the forest, grazing and entering the water on night cameras. This remarkable sighting is more than a moment of wonder — it is a testament to decades of conservation work and collaboration to better understand a species that remains one of the world’s most elusive mammals.
Your Toronto Zoo is proud to support this important conservation work in Ivory Coast alongside partners including IBREAM, Rotterdam Zoo, Zoo Antwerpen, ZooParc Overloon, Givskud Zoo, and ZPOT. Through research, collaboration, and continued monitoring, these partners are helping build a greater understanding of pygmy hippos and the challenges they face in the wild. Every sighting, research milestone, and conservation effort brings hope for a future where pygmy hippos not only survive but thrive. Through the Toronto Zoo Endangered Species Reserve Fund, your Zoo is supporting the development of a conservation action management plan through the “Ivory Coast Pygmy Hippo Program: Bending the Curve.”
Your Toronto Zoo is also proud to participate in The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Pygmy Hippo Species Survival Plan® (SSP), a cooperative program that brings together accredited zoos and conservation organizations across North America.
