Happy, Happy Hippo

Happy the Hippopotamus was born in the national Zoo in Washington, DC on January 4th 1981. He grew into a strapping large 5,000 pound, almost 11 feet long male who was just too big for his enclosure. He was also without female companionship at the National Zoo causing the zoo directors to decide to move him to the larger hippo habitat at the Milwaukee County Zoo. This habitat also includes two females which will eventually keep him company.
The two females are Puddles, a 2,900 pound 33 year old single lady hippo, who immediately took a shine to Happy and licked him in order to bond with the larger male. Puddles Mother, Patti, 39, the second female hippo in the Milwaukee County Zoo, however was not at all pleased with this match up and seems to want to break up the happy hippos.

Whether this a case of a Mother never being pleased by their Daughter's boyfriend or a case of jealousy can't be determined at this point. However at 2,600 pounds and possessing tusks nearly one foot long, she does seem to be able to throw her weight around and be one enormous fly in the ointment.

Currently both females are being given hippo birth control meds. This practice will stop when Happy is allowed to remain in the main hippopotamus enclosure. Eventually there may be the pitter patter of little hippo feet from a union of Happy and Puddles or Happy and Patti or both. If Patti gives birth than the newborn hippo will be Puddles' Sister, while if both females become amorous there might be a whole mess of twisted relationships as a result. Patti can be both Grandma hippo to Puddles' offspring while also being the Mother In Law of her Daughter's baby. Patti's offspring will be the Aunt of Puddles Daughter.

There is one thing that seems to be certain though. Happy will be one very happy hippo.

This relationship has also caused quite a stir in FONZ, Friends Of The National Zoo, who would love to have one of the offspring back to make up for the loss of Happy. The National Zoo's attendance always grows when there are baby animals on campus. This would be after the baby is weaned from its Mother. There was no such commitment made by Milwaukee County Zoo to return a baby hippo to the national Zoo. In addition this would also become a problem unless the National Zoo spends an estimated $50 million dollars to expand their hippo habitat. There is no money set aside for this in the current budget according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park Publication's Article "Update On Happy The Hippopotamus", September 28, 2009.