Poolside treats to celebrate Hippo’s special day
To mark today’s World Hippo Day [Wednesday 15 February], one very special Pygmy hippopotamus is enjoying frozen fruit cocktails by the pool.
Zoo keepers at Melbourne Zoo provide 16-year-old Felix with sweet potato, carrot and watermelon ice blocks to prolong mealtimes and encourage foraging behaviours with physical and cognitive benefits.
Melbourne Zoo Ungulate Keeper Georgie Greig said the healthy snack serves a dual purpose.
“The ice block enrichment is a great cognitive activity for Felix,” Ms Greig said. “As it floats, he has to manoeuvre it around the pool to work out how best to access his favourite treats, which are frozen inside.
“It also provides a nice cooling effect on a warm summer’s day.”
For a balanced diet, keepers also plunge branches of leafy browse into the pool.
“Pygmy hippos are really well adapted to aquatic environments and forage for overhanging leaves and vegetation throughout their native forest streams and swamp habitats.
“We replicate these feeding environments where we can to encourage Felix to propel himself through the water with those semi-webbed feet, which is great physical activity for him.”
Pygmy hippopotamus are typically half as tall as the closely related Common hippopotamus, and weigh approximately 260kg compared to their 1500kg cousins.
Native to the forests and swamps of Western Africa, Pygmy Hippopotamus numbers in the wild are declining due to human threats, such as habitat loss, mining and hunting. Melbourne Zoo is part of a breeding program for the species, which is classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.