Observing River Hippos

The display started with two older females. It was never really impressive. Occasionally, you could see them out of the water but not often. Usually, if you could see the top of one of their heads, it had been a successful day with the river hippos.




Then, one morning I got to go out on the feed truck. That is when I learned they feed them hay when the ground is dry. But, if it is wet, they get a bucket of grain. Open up. They pour it right into their mouth.



Then, we got a new river hippo display. This time, we could look through glass right into the water. There was also some dry ground where we could sometimes see them.



In the beginning there was a female and an unrelated youngster. It was quite something to watch them. I don't know whether the adult took up to the youngster or the other way around. We would see them together. The baby had it's front feet up on the back of the older one and they would go bouncing across the exhibit. Until then, I did not know they bounced instead of walking in the water.



The original two were still in the old exhibit. They were not going to move them because of their age. When one of them died, they did move the other one to the new exhibit. When she was out in the display, she was by herself. Oh, how we cried over the death. Funny how we get attached to animals that we never get to touch or really to know.



They usually stayed in the water in the hotter part of the day. One of them must have gotten confused one day. In the hottest part of the day, there he was standing on the dry land. Stayed there quite awhile, too.



This was all so long ago. I am beginning to miss them all as I am sharing these adventures with you.



© Copyright 2006 Mary Ann Chidlow (UN: merian at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.

Mary Ann Chidlow has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.