You have to keep in mind it’s not a zoo simulator game. Everything costs money! IMO what ever replaces them, if it’s even more Pygmy hippos is a more than perfect replacement. But I suppose we won’t see eye to eye…
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2025
- Thread starter Lafone
- Start date
You have to keep in mind it’s not a zoo simulator game. Everything costs money! IMO what ever replaces them, if it’s even more Pygmy hippos is a more than perfect replacement. But I suppose we won’t see eye to eye…
Where is the news on the whipsnade website btw? Is there a link?
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
Here is the link @ajmcwhipsnade, it's been a buried a bit by the flurry of posts over the last 24 hours!
Thank you! Spent ages browsing the website for it!
Super excited for what ever the future holds!
You were right. We will never agree on anything !
Lafone
Well-Known Member
With Hodor identified as a new breeding male and so few collections now holding Common hippos, it starts to make sense to consolidate a breeding group particularly in such a great space as Longleat will have.
I hope there is a bloat in the future there as there is nowhere to see a really much larger group. That could be an opportunity as lots of places have had a couple of hippos for a long time now, so you can see what the EEP might be thinking I suppose. Though I am honestly sad it can't be the future at Whipsnade when it's been such an iconic animal for the collection.
Hodor being the start of something new will be quite a thing though and something for Whipsnaders to enjoy too. I do like seeing the sealions at YWP myself knowing how much Whipsnade contributed to them being such a successful group.
Fascinating. I think I missed or otherwise overlooked that space entirely during my visit last year. I saw no big empty yards. Shame it's empty!
ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
The more that I have mulled over this, the more I feel upset by it, as seems to be the consensus here. As some will know, I tend to defend ZSL avidly, and am very much an optimist where they are concerned, but I can't remember ever feeling so bewildered and disappointed by something from either zoo. There were some delightful species lost, such as the hummingbirds or bearded pigs at London, but that was due to animals passing away and a European phase out, or the Aquarium closure which was very clearly not a fault of ZSL with the costs of keeping the structure operating.
But why the zoo would not chose to find new hippos is just bizarre. I understand that the EEP recommendation necessitates the move of Hodor and Lola to Longleat, but why no replacement? Running costs of filtering the water? Lack of availability of other animals in Europe? I just don't understand. They are massively popular among visitors and there is nothing else comparable to them. I mentioned this in a previous post but they, along with the moose and the gaur, were always in my personal 'big three' of large mammals at Whipsnade. Large, striking and unique animals which are kept at very few other UK zoos, and no other zoos that I visit even somewhat regularly. The moose have been gone for a while now, the hippos have just followed suit, and I can't imagine its long before the gaur do as well (although of course there are suggestions that the phase out here may have been reversed, so time will tell). Of course, the quality and charm at Whipsnade will never fade, and it will still remain one of the best zoos in the country, but seeing big mammals that are hard to see elsewhere in field-like settings where they just look so at home and well-suited is, ultimately, what makes the place special, and I think the hippos were among the very best that the zoo had to offer in that regard, as were the moose and as are the gaur.
My inner optimist and ZSL defender looks at my rant above and feels as though I am hugely overreacting to the departure of a single species, but I just feel as though hippos are such an important species, and one of the few that has nothing even remotely similar to it (except of course Pygmy Hippos which the zoo already keeps). Of course there are still elephants and rhinos for that sense of awe and wonder, gemsbok and forest reindeer to offer rarer species, and a lot more, but the truth is they're just not hippos, and nor will whatever goes in the former hippo enclosure be. I agree with what @Lafone is saying that it is nice that to see as a Whipsnade local that an ex-Whipsnade hippo is crucial for rebuilding the UK population, but rather selfishly, as I don't have a car and will probably never visit Longleat again, it doesn't effect me, and I find myself frustrated that to see this species, which 15 French collections, 14 Spanish collections and 13 Italian collections hold, I must travel overseas, go to a theme park in Yorkshire or hire a car and go to a safari park to see. And I never thought that I'd see the days where there are more UK holders of Polar Bears than there are of Common Hippos!
Purely as a species, I like the upthread suggestions of Giant Otter and Malayan Tapir, but for me the zoogeographical arrangement is an integral part of Whipsnade these days. I would make an exception for Polar Bears, though!
So for me, the only real options would be: a) continue the African rainforest themes set by the Pygmies next door with something like Okapi or Congo Buffalo, b) something that would make the most of the open, sloping, meadow-like design of the enclosure such as Gelada or, likely incorporating the offshow paddocks behind, Black Rhinoceros, or c) something that would utilise the water body at the bottom, like Sitatunga, which would be lovely but not a new species for the zoo, and therefore not able to fill the void left in Whipsnaders' hearts by the missing hippos. It would be nice if there was some sort of giant African tapir to tick all the boxes, but there isn't. I feel as though the zoo's options are somewhat limited, but seeing as we have gotten Small Indian Mongoose at London recently, I trust them to bring something somewhat interested in. Perhaps they'll rebuild the entire thing as a great big aquarium for manatees and all will at once be forgiven. 
An apology for what turned out to be a very long-winded rant and, for quite possibly one of the first times ever, being negative towards a decision made by ZSL. Again, I understand that there is probably a reason behind this decision, but I felt as though I needed to get all this off my chest!
EDIT: Does anyone know what date Hodor and Lola will be leaving Whipsnade? Just saw one the website a suggestion to visit one more time to pay them farewell, and realised which that may not be a bad idea if at all possible...
But why the zoo would not chose to find new hippos is just bizarre. I understand that the EEP recommendation necessitates the move of Hodor and Lola to Longleat, but why no replacement? Running costs of filtering the water? Lack of availability of other animals in Europe? I just don't understand. They are massively popular among visitors and there is nothing else comparable to them. I mentioned this in a previous post but they, along with the moose and the gaur, were always in my personal 'big three' of large mammals at Whipsnade. Large, striking and unique animals which are kept at very few other UK zoos, and no other zoos that I visit even somewhat regularly. The moose have been gone for a while now, the hippos have just followed suit, and I can't imagine its long before the gaur do as well (although of course there are suggestions that the phase out here may have been reversed, so time will tell). Of course, the quality and charm at Whipsnade will never fade, and it will still remain one of the best zoos in the country, but seeing big mammals that are hard to see elsewhere in field-like settings where they just look so at home and well-suited is, ultimately, what makes the place special, and I think the hippos were among the very best that the zoo had to offer in that regard, as were the moose and as are the gaur.
My inner optimist and ZSL defender looks at my rant above and feels as though I am hugely overreacting to the departure of a single species, but I just feel as though hippos are such an important species, and one of the few that has nothing even remotely similar to it (except of course Pygmy Hippos which the zoo already keeps). Of course there are still elephants and rhinos for that sense of awe and wonder, gemsbok and forest reindeer to offer rarer species, and a lot more, but the truth is they're just not hippos, and nor will whatever goes in the former hippo enclosure be. I agree with what @Lafone is saying that it is nice that to see as a Whipsnade local that an ex-Whipsnade hippo is crucial for rebuilding the UK population, but rather selfishly, as I don't have a car and will probably never visit Longleat again, it doesn't effect me, and I find myself frustrated that to see this species, which 15 French collections, 14 Spanish collections and 13 Italian collections hold, I must travel overseas, go to a theme park in Yorkshire or hire a car and go to a safari park to see. And I never thought that I'd see the days where there are more UK holders of Polar Bears than there are of Common Hippos!
Purely as a species, I like the upthread suggestions of Giant Otter and Malayan Tapir, but for me the zoogeographical arrangement is an integral part of Whipsnade these days. I would make an exception for Polar Bears, though!
So for me, the only real options would be: a) continue the African rainforest themes set by the Pygmies next door with something like Okapi or Congo Buffalo, b) something that would make the most of the open, sloping, meadow-like design of the enclosure such as Gelada or, likely incorporating the offshow paddocks behind, Black Rhinoceros, or c) something that would utilise the water body at the bottom, like Sitatunga, which would be lovely but not a new species for the zoo, and therefore not able to fill the void left in Whipsnaders' hearts by the missing hippos. It would be nice if there was some sort of giant African tapir to tick all the boxes, but there isn't. I feel as though the zoo's options are somewhat limited, but seeing as we have gotten Small Indian Mongoose at London recently, I trust them to bring something somewhat interested in. Perhaps they'll rebuild the entire thing as a great big aquarium for manatees and all will at once be forgiven. An apology for what turned out to be a very long-winded rant and, for quite possibly one of the first times ever, being negative towards a decision made by ZSL. Again, I understand that there is probably a reason behind this decision, but I felt as though I needed to get all this off my chest!
EDIT: Does anyone know what date Hodor and Lola will be leaving Whipsnade? Just saw one the website a suggestion to visit one more time to pay them farewell, and realised which that may not be a bad idea if at all possible...
Lafone
Well-Known Member
The more that I have mulled over this, the more I feel upset by it, as seems to be the consensus here. As some will know, I tend to defend ZSL avidly, and am very much an optimist where they are concerned, but I can't remember ever feeling so bewildered and disappointed by something from either zoo. There were some delightful species lost, such as the hummingbirds or bearded pigs at London, but that was due to animals passing away and a European phase out, or the Aquarium closure which was very clearly not a fault of ZSL with the costs of keeping the structure operating.
But why the zoo would not chose to find new hippos is just bizarre. I understand that the EEP recommendation necessitates the move of Hodor and Lola to Longleat, but why no replacement? Running costs of filtering the water? Lack of availability of other animals in Europe? I just don't understand. They are massively popular among visitors and there is nothing else comparable to them. I mentioned this in a previous post but they, along with the moose and the gaur, were always in my personal 'big three' of large mammals at Whipsnade. Large, striking and unique animals which are kept at very few other UK zoos, and no other zoos that I visit even somewhat regularly. The moose have been gone for a while now, the hippos have just followed suit, and I can't imagine its long before the gaur do as well (although of course there are suggestions that the phase out here may have been reversed, so time will tell). Of course, the quality and charm at Whipsnade will never fade, and it will still remain one of the best zoos in the country, but seeing big mammals that are hard to see elsewhere in field-like settings where they just look so at home and well-suited is, ultimately, what makes the place special, and I think the hippos were among the very best that the zoo had to offer in that regard, as were the moose and as are the gaur.
My inner optimist and ZSL defender looks at my rant above and feels as though I am hugely overreacting to the departure of a single species, but I just feel as though hippos are such an important species, and one of the few that has nothing even remotely similar to it (except of course Pygmy Hippos which the zoo already keeps). Of course there are still elephants and rhinos for that sense of awe and wonder, gemsbok and forest reindeer to offer rarer species, and a lot more, but the truth is they're just not hippos, and nor will whatever goes in the former hippo enclosure be. I agree with what @Lafone is saying that it is nice that to see as a Whipsnade local that an ex-Whipsnade hippo is crucial for rebuilding the UK population, but rather selfishly, as I don't have a car and will probably never visit Longleat again, it doesn't effect me, and I find myself frustrated that to see this species, which 15 French collections, 14 Spanish collections and 13 Italian collections hold, I must travel overseas, go to a theme park in Yorkshire or hire a car and go to a safari park to see. And I never thought that I'd see the days where there are more UK holders of Polar Bears than there are of Common Hippos!
Purely as a species, I like the upthread suggestions of Giant Otter and Malayan Tapir, but for me the zoogeographical arrangement is an integral part of Whipsnade these days. I would make an exception for Polar Bears, though!
An apology for what turned out to be a very long-winded rant and, for quite possibly one of the first times ever, being negative towards a decision made by ZSL. Again, I understand that there is probably a reason behind this decision, but I felt as though I needed to get all this off my chest!
EDIT: Does anyone know what date Hodor and Lola will be leaving Whipsnade? Just saw one the website a suggestion to visit one more time to pay them farewell, and realised which that may not be a bad idea if at all possible...
I think it's understandable to be upset and surprised as going out of a species like this isn't something Whipsnade does often whatever people might say.
I guess it is an issue with sourcing but that's a guess of course. There are not a lot of places in UK holding them and the approach appears to be (from the outside looking in) consolidation vs scattering and they are becoming rare for holders in the UK now, which is a surprising thing in itself really.
I would say that as the decision has been made, the next thing to arrive is going to be interesting, perhaps hippos could come back long term when there are calves or perhaps it's just too much to redevelop it if there is no intention to have a breeding group.
I do look forward to what's next simply because I can neither make them keep the hippos nor be miserable when I go there. But that's not to say it isn't really a sad moment as it is.
The departure date is noted as June.
The more that I have mulled over this, the more I feel upset by it, as seems to be the consensus here. As some will know, I tend to defend ZSL avidly, and am very much an optimist where they are concerned, but I can't remember ever feeling so bewildered and disappointed by something from either zoo. There were some delightful species lost, such as the hummingbirds or bearded pigs at London, but that was due to animals passing away and a European phase out, or the Aquarium closure which was very clearly not a fault of ZSL with the costs of keeping the structure operating.
But why the zoo would not chose to find new hippos is just bizarre. I understand that the EEP recommendation necessitates the move of Hodor and Lola to Longleat, but why no replacement? Running costs of filtering the water? Lack of availability of other animals in Europe? I just don't understand. They are massively popular among visitors and there is nothing else comparable to them. I mentioned this in a previous post but they, along with the moose and the gaur, were always in my personal 'big three' of large mammals at Whipsnade. Large, striking and unique animals which are kept at very few other UK zoos, and no other zoos that I visit even somewhat regularly. The moose have been gone for a while now, the hippos have just followed suit, and I can't imagine its long before the gaur do as well (although of course there are suggestions that the phase out here may have been reversed, so time will tell). Of course, the quality and charm at Whipsnade will never fade, and it will still remain one of the best zoos in the country, but seeing big mammals that are hard to see elsewhere in field-like settings where they just look so at home and well-suited is, ultimately, what makes the place special, and I think the hippos were among the very best that the zoo had to offer in that regard, as were the moose and as are the gaur.
My inner optimist and ZSL defender looks at my rant above and feels as though I am hugely overreacting to the departure of a single species, but I just feel as though hippos are such an important species, and one of the few that has nothing even remotely similar to it (except of course Pygmy Hippos which the zoo already keeps). Of course there are still elephants and rhinos for that sense of awe and wonder, gemsbok and forest reindeer to offer rarer species, and a lot more, but the truth is they're just not hippos, and nor will whatever goes in the former hippo enclosure be. I agree with what @Lafone is saying that it is nice that to see as a Whipsnade local that an ex-Whipsnade hippo is crucial for rebuilding the UK population, but rather selfishly, as I don't have a car and will probably never visit Longleat again, it doesn't effect me, and I find myself frustrated that to see this species, which 15 French collections, 14 Spanish collections and 13 Italian collections hold, I must travel overseas, go to a theme park in Yorkshire or hire a car and go to a safari park to see. And I never thought that I'd see the days where there are more UK holders of Polar Bears than there are of Common Hippos!
Purely as a species, I like the upthread suggestions of Giant Otter and Malayan Tapir, but for me the zoogeographical arrangement is an integral part of Whipsnade these days. I would make an exception for Polar Bears, though!
An apology for what turned out to be a very long-winded rant and, for quite possibly one of the first times ever, being negative towards a decision made by ZSL. Again, I understand that there is probably a reason behind this decision, but I felt as though I needed to get all this off my chest!
EDIT: Does anyone know what date Hodor and Lola will be leaving Whipsnade? Just saw one the website a suggestion to visit one more time to pay them farewell, and realised which that may not be a bad idea if at all possible...
This is certainly not a rant! I don’t disagree with anything written here.
As stated above, I too have been mulling over this more in the last 24 hours. If the house was the issue, why not just sort out the filtration and raise the ceiling?
ZSL can sugarcoat this all they want. There is nothing, absolutely NOTHING imo, that will replace the hippos. I’d like to have a more detailed explanation. Personally, the timing stinks what with the Society’s bicentenary approaching.
(Makes you wonder if the continual rumours of giraffe departing London Zoo arent so far fetched after all!)
I am still absolutely stunned by this, it is the worst thing to happen at ZSL in my 14 years as a fellow! I am really angered by this, nothing can possibly replace the hippo. My bet is it will be some overgrown semi aquatic guinea pigs - how exciting to all you positive ZSL management worshipers, I bet when that is announced there will be plenty of ZSL spin and even more on here. People who criticise ZSL are often accused of not caring, actually it is quite the opposite!
It's been suggested upthread that this is the result of an EEP recommendation. But they would surely not advocate a mother/son pairing so I feel it's ZSL who are the decision makers here. With more time to think about it I do think it's a terrible loss from the collections, more so with Whipsnade being the only traditional zoo(park) in the UK to display the species.
Since they are going to Longleat, does anyone know what the plan is there? Do they want to build a large breeding bloat? The optimistic part of me says that could be eventually used as a springboard to get the species in more zoos in the UK, though the pessimistic part of me is telling me to be sensible.
ZSL themselves are saying it's a recommendation, so presumably it is.
From my POV, it's nice they'll have a purpose-built better facility. I know it's controversial, but I don't think what they've got at present is especially amazing (I've said this before and people disagreed - that's fine, it's literally my POV) and they live in large pods in the wild, so it should be more realistic for them.
Have to say, hippos isn't a part of the zoo I make a must-visit every time, so maybe I'm coming at this differently.
From my POV, it's nice they'll have a purpose-built better facility. I know it's controversial, but I don't think what they've got at present is especially amazing (I've said this before and people disagreed - that's fine, it's literally my POV) and they live in large pods in the wild, so it should be more realistic for them.
Have to say, hippos isn't a part of the zoo I make a must-visit every time, so maybe I'm coming at this differently.
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
It isn't just a suggestion made by us on this thread. To quote from ZSL's website:
"Both Lola and Hodor are part of an international conservation breeding programme for common hippos – a vulnerable species which ZSL is helping to protect. As part of this conservation programme, it has been recommended that they move to a new home, giving Hodor the opportunity to boost the numbers of this precious species and start his own family."
Hodor is reaching breeding age soon and Longleat are creating a brand new facility. If they manage to acquire a different female (does anyone more familiar with Longleat have information on whether this is a plan), presumably from somewhere on the continent, then that would make a lot of sense, and we can therefore assume that creating a breeding herd at Longleat is a long-term goal.
But I agree that Lola moving as well is a little confusing. Perhaps they want to create two pairs, with Lola and a different, older bull, and then Hodor with a younger cow, but I can imagine it may be difficult to have both pairs living together, and the ZSL article certainly seems to suggest which Hodor is the planned focus...
Yes,the male Hodor is mentioned for breeding but not his mother Lola. An EEP recommendation doesn't force a zoo to part with animals either, so despite what is said here, ZSL are not being made to do this against their will I'm sure. Longleat have built their new accomodation and will want Hippos back on the Lake before the peak season no doubt, so this transfer is very timely. Sourcing other younger females- (there are a number of young zoobred females in Europe)and importing them may take much longer giving the current situation, so it's fortunate for them that they can get these two for starters for the upcoming season.
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I doubt Longleat are thinking much beyond establishing and managing their own hippo display. I don't know how many the new indoor/land accomodation is designed to house but perhaps half a dozen might be an expected group size? It's worth remembering that at one time West Midlands SP had nine, nearly all female. But no effort has been made to breed them and maintain that sort of group size and they have since dwindled to four I think they have now. So there seems rather a change of attitude now,at least at Longleat. I imagine they may add(say) two younger females in due course but presumably they will have to come from Europe.
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Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
I think it would be beneficial for everyone interested to read the official announcements from both collections if you haven't already to help clear things up a bit.
Saying goodbye to our common hippos | Whipsnade Zoo
Safari Park News | Longleat
Longleat have said:
"Lola, 21 and her son Hodor, eight, were born at Whipsnade Zoo and will be travelling to Longleat once the purpose-built complex is ready.
We have also agreed to bring in other hippos so a pod is created with the house having room to for any resulting offspring, creating a self-sustaining family group."
I think @Skukuza's post from page 23 is also helpful to acknowledge.
My (optimistic) judgement is as follows:
-There has been an EEP recommendation for Hodor to go to Longleat (and breed with the females that move in later on), and Lola has also gone with him for companionship.
-This seems like it could also be at least partly down to ZSL seeing this exhibit as no longer best suited for the species (and a family group that would be ideal to display) and have decided it would be best to no longer house Common hippos in the enclosure (when it can only house two to three or so), as the upgrades to the housing could be costly but would not make the facilities of the same high standards that will be seen at Longleat, and are provided for other major species at Whipsnade.
-This would allow them (speculation from me here) all the time that they need to get the funds for and build a brand new top class exhibit later down the line, should they so choose to do so, and house a large natural breeding group one day.
I hope I am along the right lines here as it would be a shame for ZSL to go out of the species permanently with all the history and the space available at Whipsnade.
I found this shocking news also as the species were a big part of Whipsnade for me, but I think it's possible that there was good reasoning behind this and am looking forward to what will be moving into their enclosure.
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