TAIPING: At every mealtime, June enthusiastically mimics the actions of her brother Atan and parents April and Lek, opening her mouth wide at the edge of their pond to receive food.
One by one, bundles of napier grass, vegetables, and fruits were tossed into the mouths of the four family members by their caretaker, Muhammad Shahrul Izwan Muhammad Azhari, 27.
After eating, Atan swiftly dives back to the bottom of the pond, followed closely by his younger sibling, who seemed unwilling to part ways.
The playful antics of the family of Nile hippos, scientifically known as Hippopotamus amphibius, captivated visitors at the Zoo Taiping & Night Safari (ZTNS), who were clearly entertained, especially by the "cuteness" of June.
Muhammad Shahrul Izwan said the female baby hippopotamus was born on June 5 to Lek, a 32-year-old hippopotamus, after mating with April, who is 22 years old.
"Atan was born to Lek in 2016.
"June has just been weaned and is learning to eat.
"Previously, she only nursed from her mother," he told Bernama.
Muhammad Shahrul Izwan, who has been caring for the animals for eight years, said that while managing the mammals is not difficult, all tasks must be done carefully, especially when cleaning around the pond, as hippos are aggressive animals and can be fast.
"When the hippopotamus sees us entering their enclosure, it will run quickly toward us, and what we do is have another worker feed the animal to distract it while I clean the pen," he added.
He said the hippopotamus family consumes about 50kg of vegetables and fruits each time they eat, four times a day.
Meanwhile, ZTNS Director Dr Muhamad Ridhwan Affendi said that June had become a popular attraction at the zoo, with visitors entertained by her antics.
"Hippopotamuses spend 90 per cent of their time in the water, including mating, giving birth, and nursing their young.
"June was also born and raised in the water.
'We only see her follow her mother onto land after a few weeks," he said.
He said the zoo has introduced African catfish into the hippopotamus pool, where they act as "dentists" for the mammals.
"The catfish swim into the hippopotamus's wide-open mouth, cleaning any food residue around its mouth and teeth," he said.