Does a zoo need hippos?

Westcoastperson said:
My apologies I meant Sacramento.
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Ok, so I see the plan for the hippo exhibit your talking about and I will bet everyone who likes this post $100 US dollars that there is no shot that hippo exhibit will ever be built because it looks way too cool. :p Building a filtration system that can keep a pool of that size with that many hippos clear would cost more money then I can even fathom and would be an insane investment. Not saying I don't want it to happen - quite frankly it looks incredible - but I'm gonna assume this is one of those exhibits that make amazing concept art, but never come to fruition.
 
Mr.Ivory said:
Shedd aquarium is my home aquarium I am beyond excited to hear that the will be housing pygmy hippo in a Congo exibhit, and it would be a first that I've heard of any aquarium in the US house pymgy hippo. And rare species are very important because you don't see them that often in AZA collections
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I used quotes to try and show it was sarcasm, I’m very glad Shedd will receive this exhibit and spotted necked otters would make it so much better.
pachyderm pro said:
Ok, so I see the plan for the hippo exhibit your talking about and I will bet everyone who likes this post $100 US dollars that there is no shot that hippo exhibit will ever be built because it looks way too cool. :p Building a filtration system that can keep a pool of that size with that many hippos clear would cost more money then I can even fathom and would be an insane investment. Not saying I don't want it to happen - quite frankly it looks incredible - but I'm gonna assume this is one of those exhibits that make amazing concept art, but never come to fruition.
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Most likely, what’s odd is how persistent the zoo is about it. In every iteration of the plans it has a massive hippo lagoon. I honestly want to know who at Sacramento is so keen for this giant hippo exhibit.
 
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birdsandbats said:
Shedd Aquarium has expressed interest in obtaining Pygmy Hippos for a future Congo River complex. When this will happen is currently unknown.
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pachyderm pro said:
The last time I've seen mention of the Congo river complex was well over a decade ago. As far as I'm aware that exhibit has been put on the back burner for a while now and considering the aquarium hasn't mentioned it in so long I doubt its still in the works. Not saying I wouldn't love to see it, but it is highly unlikely at this point.
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Where did either of you hear about this plan from originally? I can't find any references to it on the forum or the Internet generally.

Mr.Ivory said:
Shedd aquarium is my home aquarium I am beyond excited to hear that the will be housing pygmy hippo in a Congo exibhit
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Westcoastperson said:
I’m very glad Shedd will receive this exhibit
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A zoo planning or expressing interest in building an exhibit is not the same as it definitely happening. It's a possibility, not a foregone conclusion.
 
Coelacanth18 said:
Where did either of you hear about this plan from originally? I can't find any references to it on the forum or the Internet generally.
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Post #1 of the Shedd thread: Shedd Aquarium [Shedd Aquarium]

"The next phase of Shedd development revolves around its next capital campaign, beginning in 2007, that will raise funds for an expansion of the aquarium to the north, on the only slice of land in Shedd's unique geographic location that allows expansion. Since the aquarium has reached a natural cap in visitor attendance based on its current size, the aquarium must add new exhibit space to increase annual attendance in the future. The proposed expansion will be difficult, as it would require potential exhibit space to be built under the water table and Lake Michigan itself. This proposed expansion would include a new exhibit area, tentatively called "African Rivers", which would feature crocodile, hippopotamus, and other large African reptiles and mammals in addition to various African chiclids and other fish."
 
Coelacanth18 said:
Where did either of you hear about this plan from originally? I can't find any references to it on the forum or the Internet generally.




A zoo planning or expressing interest in building an exhibit is not the same as it definitely happening. It's a possibility, not a foregone conclusion.
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Chlidonias said:
Post #1 of the Shedd thread: Shedd Aquarium [Shedd Aquarium]

"The next phase of Shedd development revolves around its next capital campaign, beginning in 2007, that will raise funds for an expansion of the aquarium to the north, on the only slice of land in Shedd's unique geographic location that allows expansion. Since the aquarium has reached a natural cap in visitor attendance based on its current size, the aquarium must add new exhibit space to increase annual attendance in the future. The proposed expansion will be difficult, as it would require potential exhibit space to be built under the water table and Lake Michigan itself. This proposed expansion would include a new exhibit area, tentatively called "African Rivers", which would feature crocodile, hippopotamus, and other large African reptiles and mammals in addition to various African chiclids and other fish."
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I had actually originally heard about it on a thread discussing the Hippo, Peccary, Pig and Tapir TAG, I couldn't find the thread again, though.
 
Personally, while I do appreciate both species of hippo, I do believe that if more zoos want to exhibit them, more creative ways of doing so should be brainstormed and executed. Singapore Night Safari has the advantage of being open during the evening, so there would be a chance of seeing their hippos graze at night. Too many zoos feature the "riverbank with obligatory underwater viewing" design, so one with more grazing area akin to Cheyenne Mountain would certainly be a breath of fresh air. As for pygmy hippos, similar scenario. At least with Omaha's Lied Jungle, there are two pygmy hippo habitats (last I checked), one with the obligatory underwater viewing and another mixed with monkeys and set in dense undergrowth. San Diego's pygmy hippos are also mixed with monkeys, and has (from what I can tell) a decent land area. Personally, while I do understand why underwater viewing is so popular, and why water akin to Mzima Springs is ideal, it's just not practical without being a multi-million dollar investment. That said, if a zoo can do both styles (i.e. a Mzima Springs level underwater viewing AND a large grazing area/access to a large grazing area normally used as an African Savanna), that would be the most ideal design.
 
I hope I speak for all British ZooChatters when I wish we had more hippos here, I'm not even sure if we have any exhibits with underwater viewing. Do Chester still plan on getting pygmies at some point? I feel like they would be capable of changing that.
 
Emanuel Theodorus said:
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/"
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A proper common hippo exhibit in a North American zoo, providing suitable pools, grazing areas, indoor facilities with more pools, quarantine areas, etc. requires more land and costs more money then any of us will see in a lifetime... and that is without your crystal clear water. And hippos don't even rate in the top ten animals visitors want to see, in many surveys. It is more impressive to me that some zoos will do what it takes to exhibit them well than that they do not
 
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Zooplantman said:
A proper common hippo exhibit in a North American zoo, providing suitable pools, grazing areas, indoor facilities with more pools, quarantine areas, etc. requires more land and costs more money then any of us will see in a lifetime... and that is without your crystal clear water. And hippos don't even rate in the top ten animals visitors want to see, in many surveys. It is more impressive to me that some zoos will do what it takes to exhibit them well than that they do not
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Sucks to be North Americans. Don't think too much of that in Indonesian zoos.
 
Emanuel Theodorus said:
It's more of a bias for me, but zoos with no Nile Hippo exhibits will never truly be my favorite.
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You wouldn’t like Australasian zoos then!

The Common hippopotamus is one of my favourite species - but all the city zoos that once held them (Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne, Taronga, Adelaide etc) have since phased them out. The reasons for this are mostly down to cost and the lack of space in the small city zoos (some of which hold Pygmy hippopotamus).

There are only two holders of Common hippopotamus in the Australasian region (both open range zoos); and four holders of Pygmy hippopotamus.

I’ve compiled a list of them here: Australasian Hippo Population
A
 
So I've heard a few people say they aren't fans of expensive underwater viewing. I think it is a useful educational tool to show how the animal acts underwater, I would much prefer an exhibit that is elevated and looks out onto a hippo pond and beach. Take for example San Diego zoo's hippo exhibit, if you scrap the underwater viewing you can enlarge the pool and the beach. Give it an elevated path and now people can observe the hippos and the Okapis in a much easier and visually appealing way. An elevated path would also help push the idea that the area is more like an African swamp which would work well with the foliage of the area. But you get my point (I hope), a nice elevated Hippo exhibit when done right can look much better than a mediocre Hippo exhibit with underwater viewing.
 
Zoofan15 said:
You wouldn’t like Australasian zoos then!

The Common hippopotamus is one of my favourite species - but all the city zoos that once held them (Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne, Taronga, Adelaide etc) have since phased them out. The reasons for this are mostly down to cost and the lack of space in the small city zoos (some of which hold Pygmy hippopotamus).

There are only two holders of Common hippopotamus in the Australasian region (both open range zoos); and four holders of Pygmy hippopotamus.

I’ve compiled a list of them here: Australasian Hippo Population
A
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Yeah, what a big shame. It's funny how the adjescant country next to it has way more hippos than there, but I guess I won't be visiting Australian zoos anytime soon.
 
I never get to see Common Hippos. They're always MIA when I've been to Longleat and Whipsnade. I may have seen them at Chessington when I was very young in the 1970s but otherwise only Pygmy Hippos ( I live 4 or 5 miles from Marwell, which helps).
 
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