Baby Pygmy Hippo Learns to Dive Off Pool Ledge and We Can’t Handle the Cuteness originally appeared on PetHelpful.

Baby animals are truly amazing—especially the extra-large ones! If you have been keeping up with the news from Kansas, specifically the Tanganyika Wildlife Park, you may have heard that their pygmy hippopotamus, Posie, gave birth to a darling little boy just over a month ago.

Mars is now 6 weeks old, and he has learned so much in such a short amount of time. In a recent video shared by @tanganyikawildlifepark, Mars shows off his new skill—diving off the pool ledge down into the deeper water.

At the beginning of the video, we see him slowly making his way to the underwater ledge. He then puts his little hippo nose into the water and pushes off the edge, propelling himself down into the pool. The cutest part is how he keeps doing it over and over again!

This little pygmy hippopotamus has been giving the zookeepers a real run for their money with his baby hippo antics, especially when it’s time to go inside for the night. He just doesn’t want to leave his enrichment area, particularly the pool, and he really only listens to his mom.

Related: Humongous Hippo Celebrates His Birthday with Fruit Salad, Friends, and Fun

Now that he’s mastered the art of diving, it will likely be even harder to get the little guy out of the swimming hole.

Some of Mars’s biggest fans left hilarious comments, including:

“The more I see of Mars, the more I’m convinced I was born to be a pygmy hippo, not a human!”

“Perfect score – 10/10!! Mars is the cutest little pool-dismounting potato ever!”

“Not me asking ChatGPT if hippos close their nostrils when underwater, only to find out they also close their ears!”

Are Pygmy Hippos an Endangered Species?

Yes, pygmy hippos are an endangered species. According to the Pygmy Hippo Foundation, there are an estimated 2,000 pygmy hippos left in the world, with most of them living in West Africa. Although there are ongoing conservation efforts in zoos around the world, very few pygmy hippo babies are born each year.

Baby Pygmy Hippo Learns to Dive Off Pool Ledge and We Can’t Handle the Cuteness first appeared on PetHelpful on Aug 7, 2025

This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared.