Free Zoolights!

It's that time of year again, and this time ZooLights is free! (except for souvenirs, junk food, and parking)

For anyone who goes, you can help some of the hungry people (and hippos) in Washington, DC by bringing canned goods to fill one of Uncle Happy's old hippo crates.  That's going to take a LOT of food. 

 

 This year, there are trains--big light up ones, little ones to see, and even one to ride!

Can you spot the hippo saying "hi" to Thomas?  Thomas is a little bit blurry because he wouldn't stop moving.

The gin-GRR-bread lion habitat contest made me really hungry; my stomach even started growling like a lion.  This one is my favorite because I also like to spend time at the National Gallery of Art Scultpture Garden

Those are just a few of the fun things to do and see.  I'll post more of my photos of the lights later!

Zoo Friends

Since I had some time off last weekend, I brought Opie and some of the other hippos to the zoo to visit some of our friends. 

The Otter Brothers invited us to play a game of tag,



Mr. Leo offered us lunch, but service was taking a long time, so he got a little grumpy,



The 'mingo party thought we would enjoy a dip in the jacuzzi and shrimp cocktail,



And the Donkey family invited us to join a game of football...or rugby...or something....



We stopped in to say hello to a lot of our other friends, too, but one of our new favorite things to see at the zoo is this nice statue of Uncle Happy!

Happy and the Girls

Long time Washingtonian Happy the Hippo is relaxing in the pool at his new home in Milwaukee. He recently discovered a couple of eligible hippo ladies right next door:

Puddles, 33, shorter and a bit heftier at 2,900 pounds, is the offspring of Pinky and Patti. She was born in Milwaukee. She and Happy seem to have hit it off. They have been seen licking each other, although hippos are also known to lick the floor.

Is a steel "howdy gate" enough to keep these two lovers apart? Read the article in the Washington Post for more juicy details!

Happy Embraces a Whole New Dating Pool

Bon Voyage Mr. Happy Potamus!

Happy, the Nile Hippo from the National Zoo left yesterday on his 800 mile road trip. I'll miss my friend, but I hope he likes his new home with roommates Patti and Puddles!

Old Milwaukee

One Hippo's loss is another hippo's gain. Washington, D.C.'s Happy the Hippo is headed to Milwaukee.


Happy needed to move out since his current building at the National Zoo is being renovated to expand the elephant habitat. But it's not all sad – Happy has several amenities to enjoy at his new home including:

• Heated floors
• Swimming pool
• Shower
• Two female roomates: Patty and Puddles

Hippo hopes to make a trip to Milwaukee after the move to keep in touch with his Great Uncle (and maybe enjoy his fancy facilities).

Yummy

Happy pumpkin to you,
Happy pumpkin to you,
Happy pumpkin dear hippo!
Happy pumpkin to you.

Adopt a hippo

Happy, the resident hippopotamus of the National Zoo, is looking for a new home. His current pad is due to be replaced by a spacious elephant habitat so he has to move. His long-time keeper, JT, will miss his big, bulbous buddy.

Hippo contemplation

Hippo loves to learn about hippopotamuses. He's lucky to have some role models nearby at the National Zoo. Two of them are pygmies, and the other is a BIG hippo. His name is Happy, and he looks very happy when he gets hay with treats.



Unfortunately, those hippos are going to move to other zoos when our zoo builds a new elephant house. Hippo hopes that Happy gets a nice pool with lots of toys.