Latest news with #PygmyHippo
The Irish Sun
14-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
I took my kids to the beautiful UK city with huge Lego ships and illusion museums
IF you're looking for the best views in Edinburgh, you might climb Arthur's Seat hill or make the ascent up the Royal Mile. But with sons Ralph, eight, and five-year-old Max in tow, my husband and I marched up Corstorphine instead, a lesser-known member of the city's Seven Hills — but significantly more child-friendly. 5 Alex Lloyd with Ralph and Max at the castle Credit: Alex Lloyd 5 Playing with a wonder ball at Camera Obscura Museum in Edinburgh Credit: Alex Lloyd 5 An optical illusion at the museum Credit: Alamy It's the home of Edinburgh Zoo and reaching the top rewards you with giraffes munching on a leafy lunch — a strong motivating factor to get my children racing up the steep path. While a chilly breeze meant the lions and tigers kept a low profile, the newly arrived capybaras were keen to say hello. We were also charmed by Haggis, a rare pygmy hippo born last October and fast becoming the zoo's star attraction. But my boys' favourite was red panda Bruce, closely followed by the playful penguins. Read More on Travel Edinburgh was the first zoo in the world to house these birds in 1914. After all our walking, it was good that our base for the weekend, the Novotel Edinburgh Centre on Lauriston Place, was an easy bus ride away. And it ticked the boxes of each family member — a comfy double bed and spacious sofabed for the kids (me), cool bar with live music (my husband), basement swimming pool with jacuzzi (Ralph) and a waffle machine at the breakfast buffet (Max). The location was ideal, too, with the street quiet but within strolling distance of Grassmarket, Greyfriars Bobby and the National Museum of Scotland. Most read in City breaks Our taxi driver also told us that George Heriot's School next door had inspired JK Rowling's Hogwarts, to the kids' delight. The hotel was just minutes from our next destination — Camera Obscura, the city's oldest tourist attraction, in a lookout tower on Castle Rock (home to Martin Lewis gives travel advice about checking your passport Earthquake simulation Its five floors of interactive illusions — from the mind-bending Maze of Mirrors to the dizzying Vortex Tunnel — were as irresistible to my 21st-century kids as they would have been to our Victorian ancestors when it opened. From here, we took a leisurely stroll down the Royal Mile. The boys loved the atmosphere and were so full of energy that it took a lot of coaxing to stop them leaping into the Full soaking averted, we headed to Dynamic Earth — which takes you back in time to the origins of the universe. Aptly located at the foot of Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano, it's an immersive experience with earthquake simulation, a 4D plane ride around the planet and a mini- iceberg that you can touch. After a good night's sleep back at the hotel — followed by bao buns at its Tap Kitchen — we headed down the Royal Mile once more, this time by double-decker bus to the Port of Leith. 5 A new baby Pygmy Hippo called Haggis Credit: Andrew Barr 5 A bagpiper in Edinburgh Credit: Alamy Here, we boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia, which recently opened a new exhibition that includes an 11ft Lego replica of the vessel. I feared my lads would be as bored as So their good behaviour was rewarded with tea and cake in the Royal Deck Tearoom. The scones were so big, even Prince Louis would have raised a smile. GO: EDINBURGH GETTING THERE: Edinburgh Waverley Station is served by the LNER, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, ScotRail and Transpennine networks. STAYING THERE: Novotel Edinburgh Central has queen rooms with sofabed from £140 per night. For details and booking, visit MORE INFO: See
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Montgomery Zoo announces birth of endangered Pygmy Hippo, Anuket
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WHNT) — The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce announced the birth of a new animal Monday. According to the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, Anuket was born on February 9. Anuket is a female Pygmy Hippopotamus named after the Egyptian goddess of the Nile River. The Montgomery Zoo said Anuket has been spending her first month of life bonding with her mom behind the scenes. The zoo said the new hippo addition can now be viewed in the Pygmy Hippo nursing suite located near the Capybaras. Anuket made her public debut on March 14. 'Anuket is full of energy and eager to meet guests. Described as feisty yet full of love, she has already developed a strong personality and a particular fondness for watermelon. Her birth is especially significant as pygmy hippos are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This marks the eighth pygmy hippo birth at the Montgomery Zoo in the past nine years, highlighting the zoo's dedication to conservation efforts,' the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce said. The Chamber of Commerce said the Montgomery Zoo has a successful history of breeding Pygmy Hippos through the Species Survival Plan. Previous calves bred at the zoo are: Ronda (2024), Meela (2023), Hadari (2022), Betty Rose and Blanche (2019), Levi (2018) and Monty (2016). According to the Chamber of Commerce, all seven calves have been placed at other accredited facilities to support the continued growth of this endangered species. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
