West Midland Safari Park

A pod of hippos - the largest group in Europe, the baby was born beginning of last year I think

Funny that the largest group is at an amuesment park!!!

I went years ago, before the white ions or white tigers.

thats a nice sized herd they have there

As I mentioned in another thread - there is so much more that could be done with this group either at WMSP or in another collection. Their exhibit is such a disappointment.

So what is stopping some of the larger zoos having a herd this size?

enclosure size maybe. and i think this enclosure is tiny

The Lake is big(but smelly) but the land area is tiny(no grazing).

Send a few to Longleat they have the room

All the Uk places that hold them seem to have nearly all got just females and so be non-breeding at present.

Longleat. 0.2. (old)
Whipsnade.O.2(one old, one young)
West Midlands. O.9(?) (various ages, several young)
Flamingoland- 1.2(? male castrated?) (ages?)
Dublin. They have either one or two males(father & son) I think.

Some exchanges/transfers would be good but I don't think any of these places that currently have them really want to bother with breeding as they then often have to find places for the offspring and it's by no means a cheap species for a new zoo to start keeping.

Looks quite ugly actually