Water baby! Seven-week-old walrus calf makes his first public appearance at a German zoo as he takes a dip under the watchful eye of his mother Dina
- Baby walrus at the Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg is only the third to be born in Germany’s breeding programs
- He dived in the water with his mother and appeared to already be a good swimmer while following her
- Keepers said he was eating well, both milk and the fish they gave him and weighed 54kg
- Visitors were asked to help choose his name from a list including Game of Thrones character Hodor
A baby walrus has made its first public appearance at a German zoo alongside its mother, and appeared to have a great time as it was watch by adoring crowds.
The seven-week-old mammal, who is not yet named, swam in the enclosure’s pool and lounged on rocks under the watchful eye of its mother Dina at Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg.
Mother and son took a dip together with the adult giving her calf a nudge when needed to guide him around the pool, but he appeared to already be a good swimmer.
A baby walrus has made its first public appearance at a German zoo alongside its mother, and appeared to have a great time as it was watch by adoring crowds
The seven-week-old mammal, who is not yet named, swam in the enclosure’s pool under the watchful eye of its mother Dina at Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg
Mother and son went swimming together with the adult giving her calf a nudge when needed to guide him around the pool
However, he appeared to already be a good swimmer able to follow his mother around in formation
He also got a pat from one of the keepers who came in to feed the pair from a bucket likely containing fish.
‘He is in a good mood and already eats like a big guy in terms of quantity,’ veterinarian Adriane Prahl said. The animal is fed from a bottle eight times a day and has grown to 54kg.
-
At Nome with the Eskimos: Fascinating photographs give an…
Are you dead yet? Starving polar bear mom dares to paw at a…
Diving into 2018! Brave swimmers around the world welcome…
Share this article
But he has a long way to grow as adult bull walruses can weight more than a ton. He is fed solid food like fish in addition to his mother’s milk to help him along.
‘He has already taken a fish or two in the mouth and then plays with it,’ Ms Prahl said.
The baby is only the third walrus to be born in Germany, with Hagenbeck having the only breeding program in the country
The zoo is home to six walrus including the baby’s father Odin and four-year-old Thor
His little brother Loki sadly died last year at the age of two from a congenital malformation of his neck
He also got a pat from one of the keepers who came in to feed the pair from a bucket likely containing fish
‘He is in a good mood and already eats like a big guy in terms of quantity,’ veterinarian Adriane Prahl said. The animal is fed from a bottle eight times a day and has grown to 54kg
The baby is only the third walrus to be born in Germany, with Hagenbeck having the only breeding program in the country. It is home to six walrus including the baby’s father Odin and four-year-old Thor.
His little brother Loki sadly died last year at the age of two from a congenital malformation of his neck.
The zoo invited visitors to help choose a name for the new arrival from proposals Halvar and Snorre from German viking-themed animated TV series Wickie, and Hodor from Game of Thrones.
But he has a long way to grow as adult bull walruses can weight more than a ton. He is fed solid food like fish in addition to his mother’s milk to help him along
The new baby spent plenty of time lounging on the rocks around the pool, soaking up the summer sun with his mother a few metres away
Dina kept close watch on her calf and nuzzled up to him as he relaxed on the rocks by the pool
The zoo invited visitors to help choose a name for the new arrival from proposals Halvar and Snorre from German viking-themed animated TV series Wickie, and Hodor from Game of Thrones
Source: Read Full Article