News

New Generation is Born at Aquila

A hippo calf weighing around 30 kilograms and approximately 100 centimetres in length was born at the Big 5, 4-star Aquila Private Game Reserve near Cape Town yesterday.

The newborn calf is the second generation relative of the famed Rondevlei Nature Reserve hippo, which Searl Derman was very involved with, and brings the total number of hippo at Aquila to 5. At this early stage it is unclear if it is male or female as the wildlife team and game rangers have to keep a distance from mother and calf.

States owner Searl Derman, “It’s beautiful to see that our dreams and hard work to rehabilitate the land and reintroduce the Big 5 and vast numbers of wildlife over the years is being ‘endorsed’ by Mother Nature – a testament to our ongoing conservation efforts.”

Wildlife rangers on the reserve are continually monitoring the calf and mother to check that they are both comfortable, feeding and interacting with each other. The calf has been seen frolicking in the large wetlands area.