Miracle Newborn: LA Hippo Has Baby After Being On Birth Control

The Los Angeles Zoo received a bit of a Halloween surprise: the birth of the first hippopotamus in 26 years. Though this might not sound like the craziest thing for a zoo, there's a bit of a catch--the mother hippo was on birth control.

Ten-year-old Mara came to the zoo in December from Topeka, Kansas. The new hippo was fathered by 3-year-old Adhama, who joined the San Diego Zoo just last year. Though staffers had noticed that Mara had been gaining weight, as she was on birth control, they hadn't suspected she was pregnant, according to Today.com. 

The sex of the new hippo has not yet been determined. Yet the baby appears to be doing well and bonding properly with its mom. Today a public event was even held for the new hippo to make its debut.

A hippopotamus is known as a large, mostly herbivorous mammal that's native to parts of sub-Saharan Africa. It's one of only two extant species in the family of Hippopotamidae, with names that come from the ancient Greek word for "river horse."

They are typically rotund animals and are actually the third largest living land mammals following elephants and white rhinos, according to LiveScience. In fact, these guys can eat up to 80 lbs. of grass each night. And don't let a calf, also known as a baby hippo, fool you. These guys have been known to eat a hearty dinner as well, even at a young age.