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MEDIA
RELEASE
June 1, 2011
CONTACT: Kyle Shepherd
502-238-5331 (Media Cell 502-744-5639)
kyle.shepherd@louisvilleky.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hope the Hippo Comes to Louisville Zoo
((EDITOR’S NOTE: Call prior to coverage to
ensure she is on exhibit.))
Hope in the form of a pygmy hippopotamus came
to Louisville recently and is the newest addition to the Louisville Zoo.
Sixteen year-old Hope comes to Louisville from the Oklahoma City Zoo. A
world traveleler, she was born at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland. Hope
will join 17 year-old Maji Kitoto, the Zoo’s male pygmy Hippo, in their
habitat in Gorilla Forest. She comes with a breeding recommendation from
the SSP (Species Survival Plan), though there is no formal timeline set
for a baby hippo just yet.
General Animal Curator Steven Wing says the 600
plus pound Hope “is an extremely good-natured hippo and likes to have
her back scratched.” Hope will be on exhibit alternating with Maji.
There are two
species of hippopotamus – the Nile River hippo and the Pygmy hippo. Both
species secrete a protective mucous through their skin to keep it from
drying out in the hot rays of the equatorial sun. Pygmies have
proportionately longer legs with clawed toes rather than webbing and
their eyes and nostrils face more to the side than their aquatic
cousins. Their mouths and teeth are exaggerated in size. A large male
Pygmy hippo can have canines reaching eight inches in length and
weighing two pounds collectively. They use these massive teeth to defend
themselves and protect their territories. Wide, tough lips also help
hippos graze larger areas.
The pygmy hippo can be found in Liberia, Ivory
Coast, Sierra Leone, Guinea in Africa among moist forests and wetlands
along lakeshores and rivers. They will usually weigh between 400 and
600 pounds (in comparison to the much larger Nile hippos that can weigh
up to 8000 pounds) and get about 5 feet long and 2.5 to 3.5 feet tall.
Their life expectancy is between 30 and 45 years in captivity.
The pygmy hippo is
herbivorous and primarily forages for food in the cooler hours of the
evening. While they search for food on the forest floor or in swamps,
pygmy hippos also can stand on their hind legs to reach food in trees.
In the wild they will consume a variety of fruits, aquatic vegetation,
twigs, grasses and leaves. Hope and Maji eat fruit here at the Zoo too,
along with a variety of other fresh produce and timothy hay.
Hippopotamus is a
Greek term meaning “river horse.” Pygmy hippos are secretive and little
is known about their social structure. They usually travel singularly,
in pairs or in triads made up of male, female and calf. They spend the
day hiding and sleeping in forest underbrush. Their main predators are
leopards. At night they travel through the forests and swamps in search
of food.
The Species Survival Plan or SSP is the
American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s or AZA’s cooperative breeding
and conservation program. It is the cornerstone of efforts to assist
endangered species. Institutions that agree to participate in SSP
programs agree to manage their animals in the best interest in of the
species. Each SSP manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain
a healthy, self-sustaining captive population that is both genetically
diverse and demographically stable. In addition, SSPs involve research,
public education and field projects.
***
The
Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky,
is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by
providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for
visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation
education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of
Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
***
Get
up-to-date information about the Zoo’s upcoming Glacier Run exhibit
by checking out our new
Glacier Run blog. You can also show your love for the Louisville
Zoo by becoming a fan on
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Twitter.
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