It's more of a bias for me, but zoos with no Nile Hippo exhibits will never truly be my favorite.
Does a zoo need hippos?
- Thread starter Emanuel Theodorus
- Start date
Agreed. Imagine settling on the inferior Pygmy hippos.
"Dear Santa,Agreed. Imagine settling on the inferiorPygmy hippos.
I've got a recommendation for this year's Naughty List.
And please send Krampus my warmest regards."
Last edited:
You said it, not me!
Honestly, seeing so many Pygmy Hippos in zoos in US kinda ticks me off because it kinda screams "We want hippos but we have no money for ultra crystal clear water filters for 90% water exhibit so we decided to settle on the smaller one. Guests won't know the difference/"
If smaller creatures are inferior, I suggest immediately contacting ZooChat support and requesting that your username be changed to ‘Elephant Master’ or ‘Rhino Master’, since those are bigger than tapirs and obviously superior?
So zoos should waste money displaying a much commoner in the wild, well-known species which can’t be mixed and needs an entire exhibit that can be instead dedicated to cheaper, more active, prettier animals RATHER than showcasing a rarer, little known species easily in an exhibit alongside other animals such as primates, saving money and space?
Ok.
p. s. Common Hippos are far uglier than Pygmies.
I like common hippos and I do think that the expensive focus on exhibits with underwater viewing has indeed had a negative impact on their numbers in zoos. Which is a pity because they are very interesting creatures that are very popular as well as relatively hardy, at least in comparison to other megavertebrates. And not as common in the wild anymore as some might think. There was a good article published in the recent BdZ magazine on the history of their husbandry. @Bib Fortuna could tell you more about it.
However, I do have a soft spot for pygmy hippos, among others due to my dad introducing me to the fascinating story of their capture by Hans Schomburgk in Liberia when I was a kid. My father actually met Schomburgk in person when the latter was still alive, and his fascination with that man is still strong to this day.
I wouldn't call one "uglier" than the other, though.
However, I do have a soft spot for pygmy hippos, among others due to my dad introducing me to the fascinating story of their capture by Hans Schomburgk in Liberia when I was a kid. My father actually met Schomburgk in person when the latter was still alive, and his fascination with that man is still strong to this day.
I wouldn't call one "uglier" than the other, though.
Last edited:
I love a Common Hippo as much as the next nerd but it's hard to begrudge a zoo choosing to keep a more endangered member of the same family..!
We all know the correct approach really is to keep both.
I prefer Pygmy Hippos over Commons, though I like both.
Both Pygmy and common hippos have educational and conservational importance in zoos and neither should be discriminated against. If a zoo cannot afford the space or money for common hippos, and display Pygmy hippos instead, it should not be a point of shame, instead a point of pride. It shows that they are dedicated to the care of their animals even if that means they can’t have larger species and are still dedicated to educating the public about these river dwellers.
I love a Common Hippo as much as the next nerd but it's hard to begrudge a zoo choosing to keep a more endangered member of the same family..!
We all know the correct approach really is to keep both.
That's why Berlin Zoo, alongside many Indonesian zoos are among my favorites.
Last edited:
Uglier? Yeah, go tell Fiona that. And your arguement can also be used for Elephants lmao. They don't need ultra crystal clear underwaer viewing exhibiy, they jus need a good amount of both land and water.
I do think Common Hippos are ugly though, even Fiona.
That's a Pygmy hippo baby, not a Common hippo
, though I do find Common hippos cute when young.
Yes, that was the point of the post, to show photos of cute baby Pygmy hippos. I explained earlier how I think both are fine and this is my way of equaling things out.That's a Pygmy hippo baby, not a Common hippo
I've seen those photos before, they haven't changed my mind.
You CANNOT tell me they look ugly. Nuh-uh.
You still can't tell me Nile hippos are any uglier