On Thursday 15^th October, our young female pygmy hippo, Zuli, left the collection to become part of a breeding pair at Seoul Zoo in South Korea.

Zuli was born on 6^th September 2012 at Colchester Zoo to mum Venus and dad Freddie; her name means “strong, independent woman” and at 3 years old she was ready to leave her parents and potentially have her own young.

Keepers and visitors alike were extremely excited for her arrival in South Korea with the public keen to meet her! Not only did Zuli travel across the globe, but one of our keepers, Angela Matthews accompanied her, to help her settle in before returning to the UK. Speaking of the transfer, Angela said "After arriving, Zuli came out of her box fairly quickly and began to explore her new home. When the keepers arrived the next day she was able to take advantage of her new big pool and took a swim, proving she was already very relaxed! Her new enclosure offers plenty of space and she and her male companion will meet in time."

It is hoped that by transferring Zuli to South Korea to hopefully rear her own young, it may also make it possible for our own resident pair to breed once again.

Did you know!?  Pygmy hippopotamuses, like Zuli, are currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN red list; and so putting pairs together such as this is vital in helping their numbers improve within captivity.