The longest-living common hippo female in Europe, named 'Camilla', has given birth to her fifteenth calf at the Natura Viva park in Bussolengo, near Verona, in northern Italy. This is a record birth, as the mother is almost 55 years old, an exceptional age for this species. The park reported this birth on Tuesday.
The calf weighs 50 kilos, while its mother Camilla reaches 2,500 kilos. Both animals live together with their family group in the Italian park's facilities. They also share space with a herd of nyala antelopes.
This birth represents a milestone for the captive breeding of common hippos in Europe, cementing Camilla as an extraordinary case of longevity and successful reproduction in her species.
