Chattogram Zoo has welcomed a 12-year-old hippo from Dhaka National Zoo as part of an exchange programme that saw a pair of tigers transferred to Rangpur Zoo.
According to Shahadat Hossain Shubho, the deputy curator of Chattogram Zoo, "A pair of tigers named Romeo and Juliet was sent to Rangpur Zoo from Chattogram Zoo on 19 September. In exchange, Chattogram Zoo received a tiger from Rangpur Zoo in the first phase on Thursday morning."
"The hippo, weighing approximately 1,300kg, consumes about 150kg of food daily, primarily consisting of vegetables and grain-based food. They have a lifespan of 25 to 30 years", says the deputy curator. In the second phase, it has been reported that another hippo will arrive at the Chattogram Zoo.
The arrival of these hippos is set to unfold a significant milestone for the Chattogram Zoo, which has been looking to diversify its animal collection and accommodate its ever-increasing tiger population.
Additionally, zoo authorities have relocated the new hippo habitat to the area formerly occupied by the crocodile habitat.
The habitat is situated on the western side of the mountain in a natural environment within the lake. Chattogram Zoo currently spans a land area of 10.2 acres. The current land area of this zoo spans 10.2 acres.
