Mole Alert: Happy's New World

11/16/2009

Update on One Happy Guy

Remember Happy the hippo, who relocated from the National Zoo in September? Happy, a Nile hippo, hit the road in a deluxe, hippo-customized vehicle, and headed west. Born at the zoo in 1981, Happy had been sharing space with the elephants while in Washington, but plans for a grand new elephant habitat did not include him. Kinda like being downsized at the office!

Instead of moping around the nation's capital with no place to call his own, Happy was transported to the Milwaukee County Zoo, which welcomed him to its very lush, $2 million "hippo condo." Officially called the Dohmen Family Foundation Hippo Home, it's where Happy will spend the winter. And it is SOO much hipper than Happy's former digs. It's got warm water showers -- very gentle and soothing to that hippopotamus hide! -- padded flooring and a heated pad that Happy enjoys sleeping on. And of course, a wading pool and a larger one shared with the other hippos.

Getting to Know You

Later he'll also get a higher outdoor enclosure, so he'll have a view above that of his female companions, mother and daughter hippos Patti and Puddles. Happy encounters them from his own side of the pool, separated from the ladies by thick bars and a 'howdy gate' that allows them to get acquainted. While Patti has been a bit standoffish but still curious about this newcomer, Puddles is openly friendly with Happy. The two have put their heads together at the gate and nuzzled.

Zookeepers report that Happy seems, well, happy, with no hint of nostalgia for his past life. They'll keep monitoring his behavior with the females, and determine at a later date whether a mating of Happy and Puddles is meant to be. The zoo has a new, smaller pool to accommodate a mama and baby hippo.

Happy, a solid 5,500 pounds, still enjoys a diet of fruits and vegetables, food pellets and hay. And last week the zoo formally welcomed Happy, its newest resident, by opening his exhibit to the public. Visitors can see Happy through a window into his indoor living quarters. If you observe closely, you may see him gently wiggle his ears.