Oasis Park Fuerteventura has received this month a new female hippopotamus
Zoo Beekse Bergen Zooparc from Holland, which is already a couple with Tindaya, the male who already resided in the park majorero. Both live already in the African savannah area of the park, and visitors can already enjoy them in their installation.
Juliette is an 18-year-old female, who was rejected by her cohabitation group in the Dutch
Zoo, having relationship problems with the rest of the females in her group. Tindaya was the first specimen of his species born in Fuerteventura, and was isolated by a problem of jealousy with his sisters and to avoid problems of breeding between family groups. Since then, the
Oasis Park Fuerteventura team has worked to integrate it into a group of its kind.
When a year ago the primatologist of
Oasis Park Fuerteventura, Belén Roca, travelled to the Dutch
Zoo to do a training, she discovered that Juliette would be the ideal animal to live with Tindaya. Hippos are social animals, therefore, in a process of improvement in the welfare of both and a possible reproduction in captivity within their same pure species, this transfer was requested to the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA), which supported the idea that the perfect destination for Julliete was
Oasis Park Fuerteventura.
International cooperation
EAZA launched the project, within its objective of conserving healthy and genetically viable populations in captivity, which in the future will provide susceptible animals to be reintroduced into the wild for those species that are in danger of extinction.
The joint collaboration of the teams of both zoos, has been key to ensure that two animals that were in an isolated situation, may have a new chance of life in welfare and perhaps future breeding in captivity.
Socialization process of weeks
The process of socialization and adaptation of both animals in
Oasis Park Fuerteventura has lasted for weeks. For the same, at first the installation was divided into two areas, in which the visual contact of both was avoided for a time, since the hippos are very territorial animals. However, Tindaya was very curious from the start, observing Juliette through the wall that separated them, in which she even stood to see her.
After five days, and once verified by the veterinary team that neither of them showed tension, a first visual contact was provoked in which it was corroborated, by the team of ethologists, that both animals were calm and accepted, and proceeded to open the doors that separated them so that they interact with total confidence. The process was perfect and the two hippos are already living in the facility, within the African savanna area, without any problem.
Transportation and travel
Oasis Park Fuerteventura has taken charge of all transport costs and customs procedures for the transfer of the female hippopotamus, supervised by a large qualified multidisciplinary team from the Majorero park, which verified at all times its good condition during the transfer process .
For the best care of the animal, both in loading and unloading a special container was prepared where it was comfortable and that had the supervision of a whole team of caregivers and experts in heavy machinery.
The process has been carried out successfully and visitors to
Oasis Park Fuerteventura can already enjoy the observation of these magnificent mammals, while feeding, resting, bathing and playing together.
Courtesy of
FuerteventuraDigital
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