Today’s hed gif comes by way of the Melbourne Zoo from 2015. It was Obi’s debut, and he sure is a cutie pie. Look at him, swimming like a little floating blip!
Sadly, Obi’s mom Petre is no longer with us. She suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and passed in 2016. But little Obi is still around, and he’s not so little anymore. When he was transferred to the Adelaide Zoo in 2016 he weighed about 100 kilograms (that’s 220 lbs). He’s now a solid 250 kilos (551 lbs) and fully grown. Adelaide Zoo is looking to find him a mate of his own, so more little floaty blips might be in our future.
Petre was born at Adelaide Zoo, herself a product of the zoo’s breeding program. She was later transferred to Melbourne, where she was inseminated and gave birth to Obi. So, it’s sort of a homecoming, Obi’s return to Adelaide.
Melbourne Zoo still has a pigmy hippo too. Here is Felix, getting his nails done. Fancy!
The pigmy hippopotamus is native to the forests and swamps of West Africa. Only about 2500 remain in the wild and they are threatened with loss of habitat, illegal poaching and instability in the region due to violent political unrest. They do, however, breed fairly well in captivity. Let’s hope that Obi and Felix will be part of the continuation of their lines.
Adelaide Zoo: Pigmy Hippo Fact Sheet
The Age: "'Sweetest' pygmy hippo Petre dies at Melbourne Zoo" by Chloe Booker, 8/23/16
How adorable. I saw a couple of pygmy hippos in the London zoo once. It was during November so they were not very active but they were still cute. They were inside but it was still too cold for them. Thanks for putting a smile on my face again, Martini.