Hippo Day is celebrated every year on February 15. This day is established to raise awareness about this animal.

The scientific name of the animal is translated as "river horse", because it simply adores water, the main thing is that water should be fresh. Hippos spend up to sixteen hours in rivers and lakes: sleeping, napping and communicating. They dive into the water so that only their eyes and nostrils peek out. They move quickly and gracefully in the water. The skin of hippos secretes a special oily red liquid. It's their "skin moisturizer" and "sunscreen" at the same time. Hippos eat plant food. An adult hippo can eat up to 35 kg of grass in one night. This is not surprising, because the dimensions oblige. The male weighs up to 4000 kg, but the females are slimmer. A small hippo is born with a weight of 50 kg. And another interesting fact about hippos is that they open their mouths 180 degrees. According to this indicator, no land animal can compare with it.

Mykolaiv Zoo joins the Hippo Day celebration. Forty-five years ago, a hippopotamus named Kazymyr appeared in our collection for the first time. He arrived on November 28, 1978 from Kharkiv Zoo. Since September 1986, Kasymyr's friend Stella was brought from Riga Zoo, and their couple had 6 cubs. They lived together for 22 years. Since September 2009, a young female Rikki has arrived from Israeli Zoo Ramat Gan, who now lives in our zoo together with Kazymyr.

Each of our hippos has its own special feature. For example, Kazymyr is obedient and communicative. On command, he knows how to open his mouth wide, and he can easily be given medicine if necessary. And Rikki likes to swim in the pool with her legs up. The hippos of Mykolaiv Zoo are well-groomed, feel good and have a good appetite...

We invite everyone to meet our giants, because they love to be the center of attention.