North American Pygmy Hippo Population

Saw Zsa Zsa & Ruka Today
Only 2 We Have now at Zoo Tampa
Aha, what happened to their male Howie (born 2001 in Oklahoma City Zoo)?


NOTA BENE/BTW:
Metro Richmond Zoo - Virginia:
Male Leviathan was transferred to Goddard - Tanganyika Wildlife Park.
Female Violet to Chittenango - Wild Animal Park.

They currently hold both females Petunia (born 2022) and Poppy (born 2024).
 
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NOTA BENE/BTW:
Metro Richmond Zoo - Virginia:
Male Leviathan was transferred to Goddard - Tanganyika Wildlife Park.
Female Violet to Chittenango - Wild Animal Park.

They currently hold both females Petunia (born 2022) and Poppy (born 2024).

When asked about Petunia's whereabouts on FB, Richmond Zoo replied: "After Petunia was old enough to be independent, she left MRZ and went to Tanganyika Wildlife Park!"
 
Aha, what happened to their male Howie (born 2001 in Oklahoma City Zoo)?


NOTA BENE/BTW:
Metro Richmond Zoo - Virginia:
Male Leviathan was transferred to Goddard - Tanganyika Wildlife Park.
Female Violet to Chittenango - Wild Animal Park.

They currently hold both females Petunia (born 2022) and Poppy (born 2024).
Howie passed away a little over a year ago.
 
Interesting Tampa failed to mention his passing when his daughter (Ruka) was born last year, March 31.

I think we can expect to see Ruka placed into a breeding situation with her being Howie's only surviving calf.
I visited ZooTampa on March 20th, 2024 and I can confirm via staff that I saw Howie, as Zsa Zsa was off-exhibit due to expecting, which she gave birth to Ruka eleven days later. He presumably died sometime in April or May then, as he was mentioned when Ruka's birth was first announced in early April, they probably would have stated that he had only recently died.
ZooTampa welcomes rare, endangered pygmy hippo
Here is a photo I took of Howie from my visit:
Male Pygmy Hippopotamus 3/20/24 - ZooChat
 
Interesting Tampa failed to mention his passing when his daughter (Ruka) was born last year, March 31.

I think we can expect to see Ruka placed into a breeding situation with her being Howie's only surviving calf.
I knew about him passing away I was sad
 
While at the San Diego Zoo today, I snapped this picture of a Monkey on a Hippo (Mabel close 9yo female, Elgon 22yo male far side) Someone commented a previous picture of a Pygmy Hippo at the Zoo with a monkey on its back.

For the life of me I cannot remember the previous females name and have not found it searching. I remember her and Elgon had an article about them in a Zoo magazine. ~2014 is the time frame.


20250410_115013.jpg
 

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