Hippo Up For Adoption

Here's a tidbit from Switzerland, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal, that should give you a glimpse of where we are, as a planet, with regard to animal welfare issues.

There is a new baby hippo at the Basel Zoo that is its star attraction. Named Farasi, which means horse in Swahili, the babe may not be long for this world, however. Because the zoo can only accommodate one male hippo, if the Swiss zookeepers can't find another home for Farasi, they must euthanize him.

As you can well imagine this predicament has created quite an uproar. It seems that European zoos do not believe in birth control--American zoos do. And so, when one too many of a given species comes into existence, if it cannot be relocated, it is often euthanized and its remains fed to the other animals.

There is a Save Farasi group on Facebook with over 15,000 members that is lobbying to save the hippo. Animal rights groups are petitioning the zoo to send the hippo to Africa. A circus has even offered Farasi a starring role. No dice, says the zoo. Farasi needs a properly accredited zoo where they can care for him and he can be the only male in a herd.

It's not an easy task to find a home for a male hippo. Hippos usually live to be in their 50s so another one would have to kick the bucket. Apparently Farasi had a sister, Heidi, who eventually found a home at the Dublin Zoo only after one of their hippos choked on a tennis ball thrown into its pen by a visitor.

The obvious solution seems to be to limit reproduction but European Zoos feel that pregnancy and parenting are fundamental needs. Farasi would never have been born in the US, unless he had a home.

In the meantime, zoo officials have some time to place Farasi. His father will not turn on him until sometime between the ages of one to four. Here's hoping they have success in relocating the babe. In the meantime, you can see for yourself how cute he is.