A September report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture finds the Topeka Zoo faulty of poor veterinary care and spotty record keeping after the death of several animals over the past two years including a hippo who suffered a fatal seizure at least partially due to overly hot (108 degrees) water in its pool. A separate report by veterinarians at Kansas State University called the hot water a “significant factor” in the 53-year-old hippo’s death.
Zoo officials have taken steps to implement new policies for record-keeping and animal care. The zoo has suffered multiple losses including a black leopard, a Pallas cat, a rabbit, an antelope, a mouse deer and three bats. Some of the animals were found to be severely infested with maggots.
Recently a hippo bolted from Nairobi National Park in Kenya and took off for city life. But the citizens called Kenya Wildlife Services sent him packing back to his watery home. Drugging a hippo can be difficult as they are sensitive to the drug used to knock them out, sometimes resulting in death. In this case the procedure was a success. Watch the video below for details.
While most of the country celebrates Halloween during the month of October, we here at Hippo Mojo march to the beat of our own drummer. Or to the sound of pounding hippo feet across the savanna. Whichever image gets you going. And this month we are hearing a herd of hippos thundering towards us. But not just any hippos, these are stuffed and plush hippos! (Okay, so maybe they don’t really make that much noise – work with me here, people.)
Where are these hippos headed? Why, to your house, of course! How do I know this? Because they are on sale, my little hippophile friends. And no one can resist a sale…
Shop two categories of soft, cuddly hippopotami at Hippo Mojo: “For Children” and “Plush Animals” for savings of 15% off. Anything you can hold and cuddle is on sale now! Get a head start on your holiday shopping or use this sale as an excuse to build up your hippo collection. Come on, we know you need one of every type of hippo product out there! The sale will last through the end of October, ending on Halloween night, when all those little softies shed their sale costumes and turn back into their regularly-priced selves.
Here is a sampler of the little cuties we have available:
Henri Hippo is custom made for Hippo Mojo by Nosey Nest, a Netherlands dollmaker. He is completely hand made in a limited quantity of 6, especially available for Hippo Mojo customers.
This Zoobie is a favorite for children with its cuddly blanket and pillow inside the body of the hippo. Every child and collector needs one of these! On sale now for $28.90, a savings of 15% off retail price.
Zoo doo. Not the most pleasant aspect of visiting your local zoo. But could our future depend on unlocking its secrets? Researchers at Tulane University say yes. The feces of plant-eating hippos and other herbivores may just hold the secret to a renewable fuel source.
Inside that heaping, stinking, pile of dung live more than a dozen different strains of bacteria that turn plant waste into butanol, an alcohol similar to ethanol, that can be be used to fuel internal combustion engines like those used in cars. Butanol is superior to ethanol in that it “blends more easily with gasoline and can be distributed through existing pipelines, whereas ethanol has to be trucked or moved by rail across the country and blended at the last minute since ethanol-gasoline blends are sensitive to moisture,” according to an Associated Press article.
Just one more reason to love hippos!
In honor of hippo poop, I’ve included a video of said animal working hard to save our planet.
Zoobies are taking the world by storm, winning numerous awards on the way. Zoobies have been spotted with several celebrities in recent months. The hippo baby Hada was included in an article about Jodie Sweetin’s baby in Baby Couture Magazine.
Baby Couture Magazine with Hada Hippo
As if all this publicity isn’t enough to convince you that Zoobies are the cool new thing, now they are going green. Zoobies are now filled with polyester stuffing made from the transformation of recycled plastic (PET) bottles into new polyester fiber.
Zoobies are going green
Hippo Mojo is happy to support Zoobies and to carry Hada the Hippo – buy yours here.
Okay, now I’m upset. I thought hippos were herbivores!!! The hippo in this video really seems to be eating some of that buffalo – yikes! I guess if you’re hungry enough, you’ll try anything.
If you are looking for hippo jewelry, you’ve come to the right place. We are adding new pieces all the time! Most of these are one-of-a-kind pieces, hand-made right here in America. To wit, the goldstone and copper necklace below.
Goldstone and Copper Hippo Necklace
Goldstone is not really a stone, but a kind of glittering glass. If you’re curious, you can read more about it at Wikipedia. But who cares how it’s made, right? The important thing is that it’s cool, shiny, and fun! Buy it today!
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