TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei Zoo (台北市立動物園) welcomed a male pygmy hippo named Thabo from Singapore's Mandai Wildlife Group on Tuesday (Nov. 19) as part of an international species management program to enhance genetic diversity. At 2 years and 1 month old, Thabo's name means "happy" and "joyful" in South Africa's Nguni language, and the zoo hopes he will bring optimism to their conservation efforts.
Thabo will undergo a one-month quarantine at Taipei Zoo before moving to his new habitat. The zoo plans to introduce him to the public based on his adaptation progress. Currently, Taipei Zoo houses two female and one male pygmy hippos and collaborates with Shoushan Zoo (壽山動物園), Taitung Chinshang Pastoral Farm, Wanpi World Zoo, and Gulf Breeze Zoo (美國微風灣動物園) on ex-situ conservation.
The zoo also participates in cross-regional species management programs with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to bolster conservation efforts. Pygmy hippos, native to West Africa, face threats from habitat loss, illegal hunting, and human activities, leading the International Union for Conservation of Nature to classify them as "critically endangered."
As Thabo settles into his new home, Taipei Zoo says its commitment to conservation remains strong, reflecting broader efforts to protect endangered species through international collaboration.