Enormous Changes for Hippos
Posted at 5:57 pm February 12, 2009 by Nate Schierman
Jabba at the San Diego Zoo
Step one:
Find a very large crate.
Step two:
Get the hippo used to being in the crate.
At first, Jabba was a little uncertain about entering the crate, and who could blame him? But with the sparkling water tempting him on the other side, it wasn’t long before Jabba braved the first step and finally walked through the crate. After several days, going through the crate was of no consequence.
Step three:
Add sturdy bars to one side of the crate.
Now that Jabba was used to passing through the crate, it was time to up the ante. The metal bars that would help secure him during shipment were put in place. Jabba’s diet (a mixture of hay and herbivore pellets) was placed inside the crate. After little hesitation, Jabba entered and began happily munching away.
Step four:
Close the door.
Once Jabba got used to the idea of spending time in his crate instead of just passing through it, it was time to see how he dealt with losing the option of exiting on his own volition. At this point, Jabba entered the crate and began eating his meal, per usual. Then, the hydraulic door was closed behind him. Jabba hardly noticed. He was steadily left in the crate for longer and longer periods, until he was comfortably remaining in there for as long as 1½ hours (nearly as long as the trip to Los Angeles would be).
We spent about two months readying Jabba for his move. At the same time, the dedicated keepers at the Los Angeles Zoo worked diligently alongside our efforts to ready Otis for his trip. However, there was little we could do to prepare either hippo for the sensation of being raised into the air and loaded onto a flatbed truck. In spite of this, the loading process went relatively smoothly. Lead Keeper Harold Steyns, Senior Keeper Aimee Goldcamp, and I joined Jabba on his trip. During the transport, Jabba showed little, if any, signs of distress.
Jabba's first dip at the Los Angeles Zoo, his new home
Jabba heads for a snack
We have a long way to go before this can happen, though. Otis has undergone a period of quarantine and is now slowly been introduced to Funani (through a protective barrier). The next step will be a face-to-face meeting, and we hope they hit it off. If they do, there is still an eight-month gestation period. But never fear; I will keep you abreast every step of the way!
Nate Schierman is a keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
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February 13th, 2009 at 5:44 am
I enjoy reading how animals are trained for various situations. In this case, I can apply these ideas to my cat. She hates being confined in her carrier for trips to the vet and since she didn’t have a chance to be trained before she rode in one the first time, maybe I can reverse some of her anxiety by using some of your training methods.
Furthering genetic diversity is the foremost reason for shifting Otis and Jabba but it seems like they would also benefit from being in a new environment.
I hope you will have a post soon to introduce us to Otis. I’m also hoping that he and Funani hit it off.
February 13th, 2009 at 10:35 am
I am visiting San Diego Zoo on Tuesday and was wondering if Otis will be out in the pool with Funani?
I was planning on visiting the hippos right when the zoo opened at 9AM to see them swimming active in their pool
February 13th, 2009 at 11:34 am
When I heard about Jabba leaving San Diego about a couple of weeks ago, I thought he was going to somewhere far away. I’m so glad to know that he’s now in my neck of the woods! Although the LA Zoo’s hippo exhibit is much smaller than that of San Diego Zoo’s, I hope Jabba will enjoy his new home.
I understand Otis was a “widower” for awhile, after the female passed away. I hope he’ll enjoy the company of lovely Funani.
February 14th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
All signs point to yes, Otis WILL be on display on Tuesday. But, there are no guarantees in the zoo field.
February 15th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Hi Nate – First of all, I want to thank you very much for sharing with us the steps involved in preparing Jabba for his move to the LA Zoo. The last time we went to the San Diego Zoo we stopped by the Hippo Exhibit in Ituri Forest and noticed there were no hippos in the water. I mentioned to my friends that it is very strange not to find a hippo in the pool in the morning. I suspected that something was up. Now I know!
I am certain that you and all the other keepers at the Hippo Exhibit will miss Jabba very much. I hope Funani and Otis become fast friends soon after their introduction. This will make everyone happy indeed.
After Otis’s quarantine and the face-to-face meeting with Funani, please let us know how they are getting along. Good Luck to All!
February 15th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
I recently visited the Los Angeles Zoo and got to see Jabba. I am sad to say that I wasn’t very happy with my visit. As I walked up to his enclosure I noticed that something just wasn’t right. Jabba had gotten himself up onto a large rock overlooking his pool…and then he had turned around! His head was in the bushes, merely inches away from the guard rail seperating him from the guests! There were two members of the zoo security nearby watching the spectacle, but they did not seem to be doing anything, not even keeping visitors away from the guardrail! Finally someone of a higher status came over to take “control” of the situation. There were quite a few guests around the enclosure by then, and some were asking questions about Jabba (which she told everyone was NOT named after the Star Wars character.) Eventually they got Jabba down by enticing him with some greens, but his heel was slightly injured. I am a member of the LA zoo, so I know that they provide adequate care for their animals, so this visit was extremely odd for me. I hope just hope Jabba is doing better now.
February 16th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Thanks, Nate, for your very detailed and informative blog. We zoo regulars (zooholics?) are looking forward to seeing Otis and I, for one, hope to be there tomorrow (Tuesday), to greet him. I do hope Jabba is doing OK in LA, and hope you will be able to give us occasional updates on him.
February 17th, 2009 at 9:20 am
There is a short video of Otis meeting Funani in the video section of this site. Thanks for posting it…now we can “put a face with the name,” so to speak.
I wonder if Jabba was just thoroughly checking out his new digs or if he was hoping to escape and come back to SDZ. It looks like his curiosity and determination were more than the designers of the hippo enclosure anticipated from a hippo.
February 20th, 2009 at 12:25 am
haha escape hippo…aww poor guy…please keep us updated about him
February 23rd, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Casey #6, please keep us posted on Jabba’s progress in his new home at LA Zoo. Looking forward to hearing more about Otis and Funai.
February 27th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
One of the great things about Hippo Beach was the babies. What if Otis is a dud? No babies going forward? Do we get Jabba back or some other stud?
February 27th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Nate i know Otis from la. and i have now seen jabba in his exibit. he is great. do you give behind the scenes tours with the hippos? otis does miss his old gf maggie who died in march of last year.
and margret jabba is great.
February 27th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
This process sounds familiar… except that we do it with horses and horse trailers! The procedure is almost identical. Throw a flake of hay into the trailer, entice your young equine to take the first tentative step into the big scary box, and repeat… over and over. So are animals the same all over? I have been known to use horse training techniques on my husband.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I was at the Zoo on Valentine’s Day with my kids and there was drama with the hippos. Otis was pretty beat up. Funani made her mark with her canines. He had large scratches all over from their meeting and he was quite proud to display them, facing his back to the crowd. I guess they met on the 13th and the big joke on the 14th was that this would be the last Valentine’s Day that Otis would show up to a romantic meeting without flowers. I guess he got the scratches that morning. Many people gathered to watch the 2 stare at one another in hope to see them, well, do anything.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
This is a great blog as I’m a regular at the SD Zoo and this gives me some insight on the latest happenings. Thank-you very much everyone for sharing. I look forward to visiting Sunday now and I know where I’m heading! Adios, Jon
February 27th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
I live in Washington and my best friend used to live in san diego, every summer she comes down and sees jabba! Now since Jabba is at the Los Angeles zoo, I don’t know how different it will be for Jabba (and ashley) to get used to the new home! But we are both sure Jabba is very well taken care of. I’m sure Jabba is fine.=)
February 28th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Nate:
Great article about the move of Jabba. When I went to the Zoo on the 18th of Feb. I was shocked and very upset to see Jabba gone. Otis is a fine specimen, but Funani is used to Jabba, and she has really mauled Otis and I understand from others that the first three days of introduction were so bad that a hose had to be used to separate them. When I was there, Otis would not let Funani out of the pool. You really think these two will mate? I doubt it VERY MUCH. Send Otis to someone who will appreciate him, and bring back Jabba. (Maybe you could try artificial insemination if the “powers that be” are so concerned about genetic diversity.)
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:05 am
I have a question for the hippo keepers: When are the hippos mostly on land? Is it on cloudy days or certain times of day? Also, do the keepers ever throw the hippos’ food onto the land? I think they should because I never get to see or take photos of the hippos on land.
March 11th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Diane:
I, too, was sad to see Jabba go, but the truth is, in the wild, part of their normal lifestyle is that a bull hippo does not keep his territory (or his females) forever. Interlopers will often invade a territory and displace the dominant male. The females in that area then “belong” to the new bull. These introductions take time. Right now it is too early to assume that Otis and Funani will never get along. There was a time when Fu domineered Jabba as well, and they ended up having a number of offspring. Otis is doing well. He is under veterinary care, and healing nicely. His wounds, while very alarming, were mainly superficial. Hippos are built for this kind of thing. They have very thick skin (about 2 inches), and the “blood sweat” they secrete has antiseptic properties that help them to heal remarkably quickly. We appreciate your concern and interest in Otis and all the animals at the Zoo. Please be assured that the animal care staff is working closely with these animals, managing their interaction, so that both will continue to do well.
Jonah: In the wild, hippos spend the majority of the day in the water. It helps keep them cool, protects them from sunburn and predators, and helps keep weight off of the joints. At night they will crawl out and do most of their grazing. At the Zoo during the warmer months, the hippos, like their wild counterparts, spend almost all day in the water. On cooler days you can generally find them sunbathing. Otis has been spending time in and out of the pool. We are aware that it can be frustrating, and that visibility (especially for the bus tours) is not always the best. So yes, we have been throwing them an afternoon “snack” on the beach in an attempt to remedy that problem.
March 16th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Nate, How are Otis and Funani getting along these days? Any improvement in their interactions?
March 26th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
I saw Otis was all tore up from Funani. Otis was in bad shape and I was wondering on his condition. I visited the zoo on 3/21 and did not see Otis. No one seemed to have any information. Did Otis get shipped back to LA??
Moderator’s note: Otis is still at the San Diego Zoo and doing fine. He rotates on and off exhibit, so you may not always see him.
May 28th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
We went to the SDZ today and saw Funani. Where are Otis and Jabba?
Moderator’s note: Jabba now lives at the Los Angeles Zoo.
May 29th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Nancy:
Until they learn to get along, Funani and Otis are taking turns going on exhibit. We are still working toward a reintroduction, but do not have a deadline as of late. Jabba is doing well in his new home. I have been in touch with his new keeper and Jabba is winning as many hearts in Los Angeles as he did in San Diego.
August 24th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Any update on Funani and Otis would be appreciated. If they can’t get along what will happen? Would another hippo be brought in or would Jabba return? Isn’t every reintroduction dangerous?
September 15th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
I have been a member of the L.A. Zoo for over 24 yrs. I was really sad when Maggie (female hippo) died. Not too happy to hear this Funani is ripping his arse apart. I’m sure they’ll get used to each (at least I hope). Would be nice to see Otis w/some offspring. Thanks for all the updates since I don’t have the time to get out to San Diego.