Hippo-Awesome-Mus News
Houston Zoo Welcomes Male Pygmy Hippo
Moo Deng, who? There’s a new face at the Houston Zoo. A four-and-a-half-year-old, 477-pound male pygmy hippopotamus, moved to Houston from San Francisco as part of a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquarium (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP) Program. His name is Akobi, meaning “first born” in Yoruba. Guests can see Akobi next to the bongos as he gets acquainted in his new home.
People might be more familiar with the species after the viral attention of Moo Deng—a pygmy hippo at a Thailand zoo—became an international sensation after his birth this summer.
While Akobi moved to Houston from San Francisco, he was born in San Diego Zoo in April 2020.
The pygmy hippopotamus is one of two species in the family hippopotamidae. They are a rare and reclusive animal native to West African rainforests in the countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea, the Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia. Pygmy hippos are herbivores who mostly forage during the night and can spend up to six hours per day feeding.
Pygmy Hippo vs Common Hippo
The pygmy hippo and the common are distinct species with several key differences with the most notable difference being its size. The pygmy hippo is much smaller, weighing between 400 to 600 pounds and standing about 3 to 5 feet tall while the common hippo weighs between 3,000 to 4,000 pounds. Pygmy hippos are known to be more solitary and terrestrial, spending time on land rather than in water. Contrary to its cousin, the common hippos are social animals that live in groups called pods and spend much of their time submerged in water.
Pygmy hippos are threatened by a number of factors including deforestation, extensive mining and hunting. Guests can do their part to save these incredible animals by recycling cell phones, and other small electronics, at the Zoo. These devices contain a metal mined where pygmy hippos live, and recycling cell phones reduces the demand for new materials to be mined. In 2024, the Houston Zoo has recycled 1,264 electronic devices.
