Gloria

A poor pygmy hippopotamus in the United Kingdom had some trouble recently when he refused to eat. Maybe he just didn't like eating alone. Because when the zookeepers offered him carrots from a Gloria the Hippo hand puppet he returned to munching happily.

Daily Mail - Chico the hungry hippo gets a helping hand (puppet) to rediscover his appetite

Hippos 101

Lately, Hippo has enjoyed watching a couple of new series on the Discovery Channel: Dogs 101 and Cats 101. They explain the differences between breeds and recommend which dog or cat might be appropriate for your lifestyle (activity level, space, family size).

Hippo thought there should really be a series called Hippos 101 to help prospective hippopotamus adoptees. Until that happens, he would like to share these fun facts from the San Diego Zoo:

• A hippo weighs between 3,000 and 10,000 pounds.
• Hippos live about 45 years.
• Hippos can go up to 3 weeks without eating. But they really prefer to have three square meals a day plus second breakfast, mid-afternoon snack, dessert, and some bedtime grazing.
• If you visit a hippo at the zoo and he's underwater, you might have a long wait. They can hold their breath for up to 30 minutes.
• Hippos are one of the noisiest animals in Africa.
  

Hippo Valentine's Day!

HIPPO LOVES YOU!

Potamus of Love

There's a song from the long ago year of 1973 called The Joker. In it, Steve Miller claims "Some people call me Maurice because I speak to the potamus of love."



Hippo doesn't know who this Maurice is and he doesn't remember sharing and advice about love with him. But it is true that hippopotamuses are skilled in the art of seduction and Hippo will be happy to answer any questions about the birds and the bees.

Funny Signs

When I travel, I like to collect pictures of funny signs.


Mmmmmmmm.... That sounds like a tasty snack for a hippo!


I tried to stay 5 feet away from the monkeys, but they can't read!


This one just makes me giggle. I hope he made it on time!



This one is kind of confusing. How do I know which way to go?



My staff told me to post this one. I still don't get it.

Groundhog

I hope everyone had a good Groundhog Day celebration! I always start February 2nd in a pleasant way, just in case I get Groundhog Dayed. This year I set the alarm an hour late, then watched cartoons and drank hot chocolate.

In the afternoon it got pretty warm, so I went to the zoo to visit a weather expert. The zoo where I live doesn't have a resident groundhog (at least not on the official list of residents) so I decided to talk to the next best expert – a prairie dog.

"Excuse me! Sir? How many more weeks of winter?"

He didn't seem too eager to talk. But from the long shadow cast by his posterior, I think it would be a good idea to keep the scarf and mittens handy.

Superbowl!

When my staff started talking about a Superbowl party, I thought they were talking about celebrating something really exciting like a big chili cook-off or the world's biggest bowl of soup.


Then they explained that the Superbowl is football. I tried to suit up for the occasion, but the snout guard squished my face.


It turns out the Superbowl is football AND snacks! I could definitely be a champion in the snack department.


GO HEFFALUMPS!