A pygmy hippo calf has been born at Taronga Zoo, giving her species a leg-up in its struggle to avoid extinction.

The calf is the first born at the zoo in nearly seven years since the birth of her mother, Kambiri, in 2010.

She was shown to the public on Friday.

Weighing about five kilograms at birth on February 21, the calf, as yet unnamed, is growing at a healthy pace and has begun eating solid foods.