Charles
Well-Known Member
This is great news on the website it also says they could be back in the summer which is soon and. Good
Longleat Safari & Adventure Park Longleat Safari Park 2024
- Thread starter Jedd Cullinan
- Start date
Wonder where they will source them from, is there a big gene pool in Europe?
cerperal
Well-Known Member
Nope, the gene pool is pretty tragic at the minute. Especially if they intend to acquire a full bloat as they state, I'd imagine they'll have to go further afield. I doubt importing straight from Africa would be out of the question
I doubt it will but I really hope this doesn't turn into the mid-2010s bear situation all over again! I'm pleased they intend to house a breeding pod as well
Is there a recommended ratio for keeping Common hippo? 1Bull, 2 Cows? I’ve only visited places where there’s only been a breeding pair.
Reading between the lines from the press release and, if the turnaround is next year, loose implications are they’ve already sourced stock from somewhere.
Reading between the lines from the press release and, if the turnaround is next year, loose implications are they’ve already sourced stock from somewhere.
Last edited:
60? There was close to 200 earlier this year. However much I would love to see some of the Colombian hippos brought over, logistically I can't see it happening. Cost alone would be huge without the risk of sedating, capturing, sedating again and transporting to the UK. It would be amazing if some of these could move to Longleat but I'm guessing some captive individuals have already been sourced
Last edited:
Orca obsessed
Well-Known Member
This is such great news I went recently and it felt quite barren when the hippos weren’t there
I can’t wait to see the new exhibit although I would want to know if the hippos would have access to the lake!
I can’t wait to see the new exhibit although I would want to know if the hippos would have access to the lake!This is such great news I went recently and it felt quite barren when the hippos weren’t there
It would be criminal if they didn’t! However, considering these will be new individuals, I do wonder whether these new plans may have to include partitioning a significant chunk of the lake off and away from the sealions. I can imagine a breeding Bull hippo wouldn’t take too kindly to them or if there were also calves present
I would imagine they almost certainly will not be 'free range' like the two old females were. That had been an established routine for Longleat for decades, but I can't see it being repeated with new stock somehow. More likely a new enclosure bankside on the Lake with a water area, with viewing from the boats?
They could recoup that money through TV rights
I think the Colombian wild hippos are horrifically inbred - I recall hearing their entire population is descended from four individuals, so starting a breeding programme with them would not seem to be a particularly wise idea.
Genetic wise the european stock is not in optimal spot but there are enough surplus animals to go around to new holders. For example Dvur Kralove has currently 3 half-grown females ready to be shipped out.
They are descended from just 4 individuals so even through Longleat want a breeding pod (unless the right individuals have already been sourced) personally if they did aquire the Colmbian hippos(not going to happen I know) it would be a win win for both parties. However new individuals must have been sorted from Europe with hopefully 1 or 2 from outside of Europe.
SSLees
Well-Known Member
Another idea that probably is never going to happen (but still worth suggesting), what if they get Fiona's brother Fritz for their pod?
I know maturity wise, it would work for Fritz since he'd need to be move to avoid conflict with his father. And getting a hippo from an American collection that is no related to any in Europe would be a good way to boost gene diversity.
But moving a hippo all the way from America to UK would be a massive task. And admittedly, not sure if Fritz is even old enough yet to leave.
I know maturity wise, it would work for Fritz since he'd need to be move to avoid conflict with his father. And getting a hippo from an American collection that is no related to any in Europe would be a good way to boost gene diversity.
But moving a hippo all the way from America to UK would be a massive task. And admittedly, not sure if Fritz is even old enough yet to leave.
Read a bit more about this where they say they something to the effect that they will have access to seven acres of grazing land and the largest water area anywhere, so maybe that means they will not be contained?
cerperal
Well-Known Member
The hippos have never been contained at Longleat, and have shared the lake with the sea lions since the 60s. Longleat last bred hippo in the 90s, and there were 3 distinguishable sets of calves that were born having effectively free-roam (admittedly the mortality rate was high, but times have changed).
The fact they're building the new house on the site of the old one tells me it'll be a similar if not same process to the previous hippos. Yes, bulls can be grumpy, but they can tolerate crocodiles in the wild which are somewhat more threatening than a couple of nosey sea lions.
How is the gene pool in the US looking? Personally I don't see that happening if just for the costs and difficulties involved as you mention, but I can think of worse solutions. Fritz surely can't be much different in age to Hodor right? All I know about that pod in America is that they are struggling for space
How are the hippos actually contained surely there’s some form of barrier on the safari and house sides of the lake?