KEEPER NOTE Pygmy Hippo

“Where are the hippos?”

Pygmy hippos are about 1/3 the size of their cousins, the Common (or Nile) hippos, but have 100% of the personality. They are notoriously reclusive and nocturnal, so you often have to look to see them. In fact, they are SO reclusive that the only way we have any information about them is due to having so many in zoos across the world. They are almost impossible to locate and study in the wild.

Our hippos especially like submersing themselves in water or covering themselves in mud to keep their skin cool and moisturized, so they tend to blend in with their surroundings. Dagwood is our male, and Clementine and Zemora are our mother and daughter, and at this time the genders do not fraternize. (If you see just one hippo, it’s Dag’s turn in the yard.)

It takes some patience, but if you keep your eyes open for movement, as opposed to an animal, you can spot them grazing along the fence line or having a “spa moment” in the pond.