Dr. Rebecca Lewison

Really, really quite a bit smaller. Yeah.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

This is the reason most people don't. It's because pygmy hippos are only in West African countries. And even within West African countries, they're only in four of them. And they're very, very secretive.

This is the reason most people don't. It's because pygmy hippos are only in West African countries. And even within West African countries, they're only in four of them. And they're very, very secretive.

This is the reason most people don't. It's because pygmy hippos are only in West African countries. And even within West African countries, they're only in four of them. And they're very, very secretive.

So we think of common hippos right there, this iconic animal of the African savanna, right? You'll see a picture of like a big hippo gaping with a sunset behind it. Until 2006, we hadn't even ever had a picture of pygmy hippos in the wild.

So we think of common hippos right there, this iconic animal of the African savanna, right? You'll see a picture of like a big hippo gaping with a sunset behind it. Until 2006, we hadn't even ever had a picture of pygmy hippos in the wild.

So we think of common hippos right there, this iconic animal of the African savanna, right? You'll see a picture of like a big hippo gaping with a sunset behind it. Until 2006, we hadn't even ever had a picture of pygmy hippos in the wild.

And it's because they're very rare, right? They're an endangered animal. And there used to be a very large forest complex there. in Sierra Leone and Liberia and Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire that kind of went over that entire region. It's largely been lost or there's been a lot of habitat loss of that forest. And that's what pygmy hippos rely on. They're also solitary.

And it's because they're very rare, right? They're an endangered animal. And there used to be a very large forest complex there. in Sierra Leone and Liberia and Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire that kind of went over that entire region. It's largely been lost or there's been a lot of habitat loss of that forest. And that's what pygmy hippos rely on. They're also solitary.

And it's because they're very rare, right? They're an endangered animal. And there used to be a very large forest complex there. in Sierra Leone and Liberia and Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire that kind of went over that entire region. It's largely been lost or there's been a lot of habitat loss of that forest. And that's what pygmy hippos rely on. They're also solitary.

So they don't do this big group aggregation that we see with common hippos. So it's not surprising. They're secretive and solitary cryptic forest animals. And there's very, very few of them.

So they don't do this big group aggregation that we see with common hippos. So it's not surprising. They're secretive and solitary cryptic forest animals. And there's very, very few of them.

So they don't do this big group aggregation that we see with common hippos. So it's not surprising. They're secretive and solitary cryptic forest animals. And there's very, very few of them.

San Diego Zoo, you know, fantastic zoo. When I used to go with my kids and we'd be standing at the pygmy hippo, people would say, oh, these are just baby hippos.

San Diego Zoo, you know, fantastic zoo. When I used to go with my kids and we'd be standing at the pygmy hippo, people would say, oh, these are just baby hippos.

San Diego Zoo, you know, fantastic zoo. When I used to go with my kids and we'd be standing at the pygmy hippo, people would say, oh, these are just baby hippos.

What did you say? I corrected everybody, whether they wanted it or not. But they do look, honestly, to me, they look very different. But I can understand why people maybe think they're the same thing, only smaller. So for everyone listening, they're absolutely not. Pygmy hippos are a separate species. And actually, evolutionarily, they split. from common hippos like millions of years ago.