Baby hippo born at L.A. zoo to mom on birth control

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Zoo is celebrating the birth of its first hippopotamus in 26 years.

The zoo says the baby was born Friday. It was somewhat of a surprise, but staffers had noticed the mother hippo gained weight, which made them suspect she was pregnant.

Vets haven't determined the sex of the new hippo. But they say the baby appears to be doing well and is bonding with mom.

Media will get to see the newborn Tuesday in its public debut.

The mother, 10-year-old Mara, came to the zoo in December from Topeka, Kansas. The father is a 3-year-old named Adhama, who arrived from the San Diego Zoo last year.

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  This photo provided by the Los Angeles Zoo shows a mother hippo and her new-born calf at their enclosure at the Los Angeles Zoo, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014.