A female pygmy hippopotamus arrived on Wednesday at a zoo in northern Israel as part of an international breeding and conservation program to save the species, which is endangered in the wild.
Unlike its much larger, more numerous cousin, the Common Hippopotamus, which lives mainly in East Africa, the shy, nocturnal, pygmy species lives in swampy West African forests. Fewer than 2,500 are thought to still live in the wild, where they face shrinking habitats due to mining, logging, agriculture, and poaching.
The pygmy hippo that arrived at the Hai Park in northern Israel’s Kiryat Motzkin comes from Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic. It was flown to Israel via Frankfurt Airport.
Plans are for a male to arrive from Sweden later this year to kick off the first breeding nucleus in Israel.
After acclimatization, the female will move to a new yard built specially for the breeding program. Depending on her acclimation, she could go on public display as early as Saturday or Sunday, the zoo said.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
The zoo has not yet decided on a name for its newest arrival.
Her arrival was delayed several times because of the security situation in Israel, amid war with Iran and Hezbollah.
Visitors watch as Moo Deng, which turned one year old, eats food at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
In recent years, a pygmy hippopotamus born in Thailand, named Moo Deng, became a viral internet sensation, drawing tens of thousands of visitors.
You appreciate our wartime journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel