SYDNEY (REUTERS) - Taronga Zoo's baby pygmy hippopotamus - the first born in seven years - made its first public appearance in Sydney on Friday (March 17).

The female calf was born to first-time parents Fergus and Kambiri on Feb 21, 2017, and has begun to explore its new surroundings, making a splash in the zoo's pool, according to senior keeper Renae Moss.

According to Ms Moss, pygmy hippopotamus are classified as endangered, with fewer than 3,000 left in the wild.

Taronga Zoo will soon hold a competition to help choose a name for the baby pygmy hippopotamus.