Member Blog: Hippos and elephants go full Smashing Pumpkins

With pumpkin season in full swing, the team at Werribee Open Range Zoo grew giant pumpkins especially for our three hippo girls, giving their powerful jaws the ultimate seasonal challenge.

Keeper Dominic from the Savannah team says there’s nothing quite like the sound of a hippo getting stuck into a whole pumpkin.

“We call out Primrose and her daughters Tulip and Lotus, and they come waddling over and absolutely demolish the pumpkins in just a few bites,” Keeper Dominic said. “It’s one of their favourite treats, and a brilliant form of enrichment for them.”

Built for big bites, hippos can open their jaws to around 150 degrees, with tusk-like canine teeth that can grow up to 50 centimetres long. While they’d usually graze on vegetation in the wild, here they’re more than happy to crunch their way through a pumpkin or two.

And the hippos weren’t the only ones getting into the spirit.

Our nine Asian elephants also joined the pumpkin party, including playful three-year-old siblings Aiyara, Roi-Yim and Kati. The elephants take a very different approach (less biting, more stomping) flattening pumpkins “like grapes” before scooping up the pieces with their trunks.

“With nine elephants at Werribee and more calves on the way, a few extra seasonal snacks for the pregnant girls definitely don’t go astray,” Keeper Dominic said

The result? A symphony of crunches as pumpkins were smashed underfoot, followed by plenty of splashing as the younger elephants made a beeline for the pool to swim, play and cool off.

Asian elephants can eat more than 100 kilograms of food a day, using their trunks, packed with over 40,000 muscles, to expertly smell, grab and scoop food.

Even in the cooler months, both hippos and elephants are big fans of a swim, giving visitors the chance to spot playful behaviour year-round.