Nicknamed the “laughing hippo,” Otis, a 45-year-old male river hippo at the San Diego Zoo, has died. Otis has been in care for degenerative joint and spinal conditions and the decision to cut the pain was made last weekend as his condition deteriorated dramatically.
Ken Bohn / San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance via AP
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Ken Bohn / San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance via AP
Nicknamed the “laughing hippo,” Otis, a 45-year-old male river hippo at the San Diego Zoo, has died. Otis has been in care for degenerative joint and spinal conditions and the decision to cut the pain was made last weekend as his condition deteriorated dramatically.
Ken Bohn / San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance via AP
SAN DIEGO – A 45-year-old male river hippo named Otis and nicknamed the “laughing hippo” has died at the San Diego Zoo.
Otis was being cared for for degenerative joint and spinal conditions and the decision to cut him off was made late last week as his condition deteriorated, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said. know in tweet Second.
Otis got his nickname in 2010 because of the viral photo taken by a zoo visitor, showing him with his teeth exposed like a grin, San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
The 4,500-pound (2,041-kilogram) hippopotamus was born in the wild in East Africa and arrived at the Los Angeles Zoo before being moved to San Diego in 2009 to mate with a female named Funani, the newspaper said. .
“Otis will miss the wildlife staff, veterinarians, volunteers and guests greatly,” said the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
