The Calgary Zoo is mourning the loss of two baby hippos that didn’t survive birth.
The zoo’s 26-year-old river hippopotamus, Sparky, delivered rare twins at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, but they were stillborn.
Officials say staff tried to resuscitate the twins, but a necropsy determined the pair had died prior to delivery after becoming entangled in their umbilical cords.
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Sparky had been on birth control for a number of years and zoo officials say they were surprised, given her advanced age, to find out she was pregnant.
Officials say twin births are very rare among hippos and it’s unlikely that both would have survived.
“The likelihood of both surviving would have been small, but we would have liked the chance to help Sparky try to raise them. This is very, very sad for our team,” says curator Colleen Baird. “Our priority now is making sure that Sparky is alright.”
Sparky has been a resident at the zoo since 1988. This is her fourth pregnancy.
Her first calf in 1991 was also stillborn.
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