Average depth of a Hippo pool

jbnbsn99

jbnbsn99

Well-Known Member
I am looking to get some average depths of pools for River Hippo pools. My initial estimate is about 6 feet deep, but I need to know if this is normal, too shallow, or too deep.
 
Here are the ZAA minimum standards for Nile hippo care and housing

"1. Nile
a. For one animal, a paddock enclosing 1,500 square feet, 5 feet high, with a pool of water, 120 square feet, 5 feet deep, equipped with a ramp or steps. For each additional animal, increase paddock and pool surface area by 50 percent of original area.
b. Access to a shelter shall be provided."

From: ZAA Standards

Granted the Dallas Zoo may have different standards to follow, but this shows that your measurement is not far off from the ZAAs' minimum.

Just curious, is this hippo pool part of your plans for the "Wilds of Africa" exhibit. Don't know if you guys are planning a physical renovation of the exhibits, but I have a suggestion. If possible, you can have the monorail or whatever train system of your choosing and have it go right through the hippo pool, like a flume ride, and let guests be immersed in the hippo's world.
 
Great link! All I am planning are exhibits in my head, I serious doubt anything will come of them. I'm not a fan of the flume ride idea however, for the simple reason of bacteria from the hippo's feces. Also, trains and water don't mix.
 
From jbnbsn99: Great link! All I am planning are exhibits in my head, I serious doubt anything will come of them. I'm not a fan of the flume ride idea however, for the simple reason of bacteria from the hippo's feces. Also, trains and water don't mix.

I'm glad you found these links to be useful. This may sound like a dumb questionto ask, but what is it about the fecal bacteria that you find offensive to the zoo experiance (the smell, affect on water, glass, etc)?
 
You made it sound like the ride would be going into the water. If that's the case then there is a huge health concern. If not then I have not problem.
 
From jbnbsn99: You made it sound like the ride would be going into the water. If that's the case then there is a huge health concern. If not then I have not problem.

Well the ride would go through the water, but only through an underwater glass tunnel.

Here is an example from Wildlife World Zoo:

Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium | Flume Ride

Sorry for the mix-up. I can see why you thought there might be a huge health concern.
 
Interesting, definitely not what I was envisioning. Although it is completely out of the questions for what I'm working on.
 
Some River hippo pools like the one at San Diego Zoo look a little bit deeper then 6 feet, for some reason I think that the hippo pool in the old hippo exhibit at LA Zoo (now demolished and replaced by elephants of asia) may have been more then 6 feet, but the last hippo pool at LA Zoo (Now home to Bairds tapirs) looks like its 4 or 5 feet, but 6 feet does sound about right for the average depth, maybe Michael the former curator of LA Zoo may have a more precise answer on the depth of LA Zoo's old hippo pools, also it always seems that Pygmy hippo pools are not as deep as river hippo pools, but the reason for that is because they are smaller and dont need as much water
 
AAAhhh - we have two ungulate fanatics - UngulateNerd and Jbnbsn99. The former is working on an ungulate specialty zoo in southern California and now the secret is out - the latter is working on an ungulate specialty zoo in central Texas. If somehow the two of them can combine forces and build one mega-ungulate zoo, we will be up to our eyeballs in bhutan takins and koupreys and javan rhinos! ;)
 
Arizona Docent said:
AAAhhh - we have two ungulate fanatics - UngulateNerd and Jbnbsn99. The former is working on an ungulate specialty zoo in southern California and now the secret is out - the latter is working on an ungulate specialty zoo in central Texas. If somehow the two of them can combine forces and build one mega-ungulate zoo, we will be up to our eyeballs in bhutan takins and koupreys and javan rhinos! ;)
Click to expand...

I like this idea, but can elephants be added even though they aren't technically ungulates?
 
elefante said:
I like this idea, but can elephants be added even though they aren't technically ungulates?
Click to expand...

I think it is a given that it will have the world's premiere exhibit for forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis).

Boy did I hijack this thread and get it off topic! :eek:

Getting back to the original topic (if that is even possible now), the one at San Diego Zoo is a little (not much) deeper than others but there are one or two large underwater rock areas that the hippos can stand on to be near the surface. It seem to me whenever I have gone they are always standing on this (unless they are moving around). Since they seem to prefer to be near the surface, perhaps having a deep pool for hippos is pointless? I would think width and overall size is more important than depth (and perhaps easier to filter, though I am no expert on water filtration systems).
 
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