North American Common Hippopotamus Population

ABQ BioPark's Karen delivered a calf on October 14th, her fourth sired by Moe: 172K views · 4K reactions | **CONTENT WARNING: LIVE BIRTH** Hip-Hippo Hooray! The ABQ BioPark is thrilled to announce an exciting birth at the Zoo. Experienced parents, hippos Karen and Moe, welcomed their fourth calf together just after 9 am this morning, October 14. 24-year-old Karen has been under expert prenatal care since her pregnancy was confirmed earlier this year. She went into labor this morning and was monitored by her care team through her quick and successful birth, captured below (Note: there is some blood present in the video). Like the experienced mother she is, she immediately made sure the calf could get to shallow ground to catch its breath and began bonding. To allow them privacy, the hippo habitat is temporarily closed to guests. Hippo mothers are extremely protective of their young, so when the area reopens guests may see her keep both Moe and Matilda at a distance while she nurses and bonds with the new bundle of joy. Watch our socials for news of when the area will reopen to guests! Moe, the calf’s father, will turn 52 years old next month and is among the oldest male hippos in North America! As a senior hippo, his continued contribution to the conservation of his species and enduring legacy are a testament to the outstanding senior care at the ABQ BioPark. Big sister Matilda turned four years old this July and although mothering is believed to be largely instinctual, the growth of their family gives her an opportunity to experience social dynamics with another young hippo. In their native range, hippos live in groups ranging anywhere from 5 to 30 individuals called pods or floats that consist of many females and calves and one territorial bull. Hippopotamus amphibius, more commonly known as Nile hippopotamus, river hippopotamus, or common hippopotamus, are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Read more about what this means for the growing family here: https://bit.ly/3W5gABe #ABQBioPark #Zoo #ZooBabies #hippo #WelcomeToTheWorld | ABQ BioPark
The zoo announced today that the calf is a girl! The zoo is holding a naming competition on their Instagram to name the calf either Maisy, Magdalena, Chama or Pearl.
ABQ BioPark Announces Baby Hippo’s Gender and Naming Contest
 
According to an email I got from them asking for information on it, Safari Niagara's hippo calf born last year to Bobo and Gladys has recently been moved to another undisclosed facility.
Hi there,

Unfortunately, the baby hippo has been moved to another facility, so I do not have that information available to you.


My apologies for any convenience.


Thank you,

Eden


Guest Services

Email: info@safariniagara.com

Tel.: 905-382-9669

2821 Stevensville Road, Stevensville, ON L0S 1S0

https://safariniagara.com
Here is the screenshot of the message. I wanted to see if we can figure out the facility he is going to.
View attachment 793832
Any idea where this hippopotamus calf ended up?
 
ABQ BioPark's Karen delivered a calf on October 14th, her fourth sired by Moe: 172K views · 4K reactions | **CONTENT WARNING: LIVE BIRTH** Hip-Hippo Hooray! The ABQ BioPark is thrilled to announce an exciting birth at the Zoo. Experienced parents, hippos Karen and Moe, welcomed their fourth calf together just after 9 am this morning, October 14. 24-year-old Karen has been under expert prenatal care since her pregnancy was confirmed earlier this year. She went into labor this morning and was monitored by her care team through her quick and successful birth, captured below (Note: there is some blood present in the video). Like the experienced mother she is, she immediately made sure the calf could get to shallow ground to catch its breath and began bonding. To allow them privacy, the hippo habitat is temporarily closed to guests. Hippo mothers are extremely protective of their young, so when the area reopens guests may see her keep both Moe and Matilda at a distance while she nurses and bonds with the new bundle of joy. Watch our socials for news of when the area will reopen to guests! Moe, the calf’s father, will turn 52 years old next month and is among the oldest male hippos in North America! As a senior hippo, his continued contribution to the conservation of his species and enduring legacy are a testament to the outstanding senior care at the ABQ BioPark. Big sister Matilda turned four years old this July and although mothering is believed to be largely instinctual, the growth of their family gives her an opportunity to experience social dynamics with another young hippo. In their native range, hippos live in groups ranging anywhere from 5 to 30 individuals called pods or floats that consist of many females and calves and one territorial bull. Hippopotamus amphibius, more commonly known as Nile hippopotamus, river hippopotamus, or common hippopotamus, are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Read more about what this means for the growing family here: https://bit.ly/3W5gABe #ABQBioPark #Zoo #ZooBabies #hippo #WelcomeToTheWorld | ABQ BioPark
The zoo announced today that the calf is a girl! The zoo is holding a naming competition on their Instagram to name the calf either Maisy, Magdalena, Chama or Pearl.
ABQ BioPark Announces Baby Hippo’s Gender and Naming Contest
The calf has been named "Maisy".
ABQ BioPark
 
Saddened to here this, he was the oldest living Nile Hippo in North America but he knew he still had something in him earlier this year when he bred Karen and had Maisy last month! Like I stated earlier, so glad the last calf was female, as Albuquerque can maintain their three girls for a very long time (maybe 20-30 years unless Matilda or Maisy gets a breeding recommendation at some point).
 
Saddened to here this, he was the oldest living Nile Hippo in North America but he knew he still had something in him earlier this year when he bred Karen and had Maisy last month! Like I stated earlier, so glad the last calf was female, as Albuquerque can maintain their three girls for a very long time (maybe 20-30 years unless Matilda or Maisy gets a breeding recommendation at some point).
Do you know how many Hippos are in zoos in North America?
 
Turns out Mahali's move from Denver to Texas has been delayed to spring 2026 as during final phase of this crate training, he made it clear to his care team that he was not quite ready yet.
Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance on Instagram: "Mahali is staying home for the Ma-hali-days! Earlier this year, we announced that our beloved hippo, Mahali, would be moving to a natural wildlife preserve in Texas, an exciting opportunity for his future and DZCA’s water conservation goals. Mahali began crate training in August and initially showed great progress, even eating and participating comfortably inside the crate. He was set to depart for his new home this fall, but during the final phase of this crate training, he made it clear to his care team that he was not quite ready yet. Moving a large animal takes time, and Mahali’s wellbeing is always our top priority. To best support Mahali, and in consideration of approaching winter weather and travel conditions, Mahali’s move is now planned for spring 2026. Since he’s staying home for the Ma-hali-days, that means there’s extra time to visit everyone’s favorite hippo! Come say hi to Mahali to see him snoozing in his habitat, playing with his boomer ball, or catch a training session in action. His dedicated team will continue to work with him over the coming months to ensure he’s comfortable and prepared for his move. When the time comes, Mahali will be well-supported, resilient, and ready for exciting changes ahead. Visit the link in our bio to learn more."
 
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