“It’s kind of a big ‘dill’ – Hugo is turning one today!”
John Ball Zoo spokesperson Kirsten Mann explains Hugo is an important representative for wildlife education.
Pygmy hippos are an endangered species. Here, visitors learn why protecting wildlife and habitat matters.
“There’re less than 2,500 hippos left in the wild. So, they're really important. They're important for the ecosystem. They are a keystone species, making sure the waterways are healthy.”
Zoo visitors are invited to celebrate Hugo’s milestone one-year birthday.
“It's a pickle hippo party. It's tongue twister, for sure. Our animal care team really wanted to get him this massive pickle toy. They've seen them with other animals at other zoos, and have reached out to me, like, hey, can we set this up? Can we do a pickle party? And we were like, why not? Midwest people love pickles.”
Visitors can watch Hugo play with his new toy, nibble a cucumber cake and chase more vegetables floating in his pond.
“Hippos aren't the biggest fan of pickles, but they do like cucumbers, so we say that's also a pickle, close enough.”
Separated from his father Jahari for safety reasons, Hugo will remain with his mother, Penelope, until he’s about three years old.
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