Common Hippos in the UK (and Dublin)

Tim May said:
I agree; I'd certainly like to see common hippo back at Chester again. I'd also love to see common hippo return to London Zoo but I don't believe it will ever happen.
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Im not sure the foundations of the old hippo exhibit still exist on the Cotton Terraces do they Tim? I can invisage the footprint from old photos however.

Of interest there’s a recent article that ZSL published on the life of Obaysch’s handler when he arrived in the UK. Unfortunately for my sins I can’t seem to locate the link.
 
I'd love to see hippos at Chester one day, it would be great to have a world class hippo exhibit here. I do believe Chester has long term plans to get pygmy hippos again at least... I'm not sure where else I could see get common hippo, I feel like Colchester might have the ambition and Yorkshire WP certainly love a good "rescue" story.

All that being said I can't see any zoo going into hippos anytime soon sadly, very expensive to maintain and as a country the economic situation is not the greatest right now. Give it ten years or so and hopefully the chance for hippos will be more favourable.
 
Fallax said:
I'd love to see hippos at Chester one day, it would be great to have a world class hippo exhibit here. I do believe Chester has long term plans to get pygmy hippos again at least... I'm not sure where else I could see get common hippo, I feel like Colchester might have the ambition and Yorkshire WP certainly love a good "rescue" story.

All that being said I can't see any zoo going into hippos anytime soon sadly, very expensive to maintain and as a country the economic situation is not the greatest right now. Give it ten years or so and hopefully the chance for hippos will be more favourable.
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Where have you heard this? I know this was talked about, about a decade ago when the original Heart of Africa/Grasslands was being discussed, but changes of management have moved on from the talk of Gorillas and Hippos some time ago, and neither were mentioned at all when it was brought up about the Congo Themed Area, which is the next project after HOA.

So, where has it been said in recent times, (since the new plans were suggested) that the Zoo plans to have Pygmy Hippos?
 
I know there have been rumours for as long as this forum has existed for Chester to go back into hippos and gorillas but not sure there’s a genuine chance of it happening anytime soon.
 
Panthera1981 said:
Im not sure the foundations of the old hippo exhibit still exist on the Cotton Terraces do they Tim?
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I have very vivid memories of the old Hippopotamus House but have no idea about the foundations.
Panthera1981 said:
interest there’s a recent article that ZSL published on the life of Obaysch’s handler when he arrived in the UK. Unfortunately for my sins I can’t seem to locate the link.
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I think this is the artcle you're referring to:
Hamet Safi Cannana, the man who cared for Obaysch the hippopotamus | The Zoological Society of London
 
Alwaysevergreen said:
Where have you heard this? I know this was talked about, about a decade ago when the original Heart of Africa/Grasslands was being discussed, but changes of management have moved on from the talk of Gorillas and Hippos some time ago, and neither were mentioned at all when it was brought up about the Congo Themed Area, which is the next project after HOA.

So, where has it been said in recent times, (since the new plans were suggested) that the Zoo plans to have Pygmy Hippos?
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They had an article on their website a good few years ago suggesting that there would be a Tropical African themed area after Heart of Africa (back when it was still called Grasslands) that mentioned pygmy hippos and gorillas. Plans may very well have changed since then but as far as I was aware nothing had been "cancelled". If stuff has changed since then, fair enough, but I doubt it was public knowledge...
 
As mentioned by others, Chester is my favourite, probably as it is the only zoo with the budget to create an underwater viewing area comparable to those on the continent, although Colchester might not be far behind, and tonally, I think hippos will suit them much better.

It wouldn't include underwater viewing, but my real answer would be London. Perhaps, if the moats could be filled in with water and the indoor areas could be improved (although they would require some fairly drastic changes), then they would do well on the African half of the Cassons, or perhaps they would benefit from the grass in front of the Mappins, which certainly has enough space for them, if a large pool could be added. It would be historically fitting as well, as Europe's first hippo since the Roman Empire was displayed at London in the 1850s, I believe.
 
Kalaw said:
As mentioned by others, Chester is my favourite, probably as it is the only zoo with the budget to create an underwater viewing area comparable to those on the continent, although Colchester might not be far behind, and tonally, I think hippos will suit them much better.

It wouldn't include underwater viewing, but my real answer would be London. Perhaps, if the moats could be filled in with water and the indoor areas could be improved (although they would require some fairly drastic changes), then they would do well on the African half of the Cassons, or perhaps they would benefit from the grass in front of the Mappins, which certainly has enough space for them, if a large pool could be added. It would be historically fitting as well, as Europe's first hippo since the Roman Empire was displayed at London in the 1850s, I believe.
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I hate to say it, but I doubt that any of those places will ever have Nile Hippos (or have them once again). Colchester has a plan to get what they call "hippos" but that would almost certainly mean Pygmy Hippos, as they already have them. The other two just didn't have the room and the right exhibit to keep them when they phased then out, and that is still pretty much the case, so I am pretty sure we will be stuck at 5 holders in the UK for the time being.
 
Nile Hippo Expert said:
I hate to say it, but I doubt that any of those places will ever have Nile Hippos (or have them once again). Colchester has a plan to get what they call "hippos" but that would almost certainly mean Pygmy Hippos, as they already have them. The other two just didn't have the room and the right exhibit to keep them when they phased then out, and that is still pretty much the case, so I am pretty sure we will be stuck at 5 holders in the UK for the time being.
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London and Colchester were my answers to the question ‘what zoo would you like to see hippos at,’ not what UK zoo realistically will in the near future, as I agree that there aren’t any, except Chester, which certainly does have the space (600 acres of unused land for future expansion, if I am not mistaken) and the budget, so not sure why you dismiss them so easily.

What is the fifth UK holder that you allude to, as to my knowledge there are only four - Whipsnade, Longleat, West Midlands and Flamingo Land?
 
Kalaw said:
It wouldn't include underwater viewing, but my real answer would be London. Perhaps, if the moats could be filled in with water and the indoor areas could be improved (although they would require some fairly drastic changes), then they would do well on the African half of the Cassons, or perhaps they would benefit from the grass in front of the Mappins, which certainly has enough space for them, if a large pool could be added. It would be historically fitting as well, as Europe's first hippo since the Roman Empire was displayed at London in the 1850s, I believe.
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I doubt the Casson, and certainly the Mappins, would be able to cope structurally with the elaborate filtration system required for Common hippo!
 
Fallax said:
They had an article on their website a good few years ago suggesting that there would be a Tropical African themed area after Heart of Africa (back when it was still called Grasslands) that mentioned pygmy hippos and gorillas. Plans may very well have changed since then but as far as I was aware nothing had been "cancelled". If stuff has changed since then, fair enough, but I doubt it was public knowledge...
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They revealed initial plans for the Congolese area at their AGM this year, and said it would create new homes for the Chimps, Okapi, Bongo, River Hogs and Congo Buffalo. They didn't mention any new species. I did ask around a year ago whether Gorillas or Pygmy Hippo was still planned, after like you said something on the website a good few years ago. I was told then, that since those days and plans, there has been new directors and management, who have changed many things and changed the African project to Grasslands, then back to HOF. But it's their new plan for the Congo area, and that according to the person I spoke to, nothing had been said to anyone about Gorillas or Pygmy Hippos, and that was previous management who wanted them, not current. So I suspect, those old plans have been well and truly shelved for now.
 
Alwaysevergreen said:
They revealed initial plans for the Congolese area at their AGM this year, and said it would create new homes for the Chimps, Okapi, Bongo, River Hogs and Congo Buffalo. They didn't mention any new species. I did ask around a year ago whether Gorillas or Pygmy Hippo was still planned, after like you said something on the website a good few years ago. I was told then, that since those days and plans, there has been new directors and management, who have changed many things and changed the African project to Grasslands, then back to HOF. But it's their new plan for the Congo area, and that according to the person I spoke to, nothing had been said to anyone about Gorillas or Pygmy Hippos, and that was previous management who wanted them, not current. So I suspect, those old plans have been well and truly shelved for now.
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I was unaware of the AGM and the changes, interesting stuff. I still hope hippos will be on the table eventually.
 
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