A 13-year-old pygmy hippopotamus named Natsume is pregnant for the first time. Mating with a male, who was loaned from Osaka two years ago, was confirmed in August last year. Therefore, it is expected that she will give birth sometime between late February and early March this year. In order to provide Natsume with a safe and comfortable environment for giving birth and raising her baby, her display will be temporarily suspended.
Personally, I believe it is inappropriate to focus on breeding pygmy hippos in the cramped enclosures at Ueno Zoo. However, considering that the Ueno pygmy hippo lineage is aging and has yet to breed, breeding efforts are essential. Additionally, Ueno Zoo’s African animal area is scheduled for renovation in the future, which may lead to larger enclosures. (In recent years, Ueno has been able to create both poor and outstanding enclosures, so I am unsure what direction the African area will take.)