Get up close for a big lettuce crunch with Omo, CMZoo’s 8-month-old Nile hippo calf. Water’s Edge: Africa lead keeper, Philip, gives us an update on Omo’s latest milestones, including his first steps toward training and more explorations throughout his home.
It has been six months of Omo goodness, so we’re taking a little trip down memory lane AND showing you some new up-close Omo footage. Spoiler alert: incoming Omo window boops.
From watching Zambezi embrace motherhood for the first time with such a gentle nature to seeing Omo wild out in the pools, and every nap, plop and ear wiggle in between, it’s been a joy sharing these two with you all. Happy six-month birthday, Omo!
CMZoo’s four hippos have access to multiple indoor and outdoor climate-controlled pools, grassy yards, a waterfall and indoor land areas, which they take turns sharing. Omo and Zambezi chose to spend time in their privacy pool the other day, and the adorable duo had quite the pool party!
Surveillance camera footage caught 5-month-old Omo jumping, splashing, playing with floating enrichment and climbing on Zambezi. 29-year-old Zambezi, Omo’s mom, gets in on the fun, too, encouraging him to ‘chase’ her in the water and having her own fun with the floaties.
Learn more about Omo here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUd9bK-IbrIMxpwuRlrLaZfU4fFwB9cPG
December was a big month for CMZoo’s smallest hippo. He just broke the 300-pound mark! Five-month-old Omo is consistently eating solid foods now, but he’ll continue nursing for several months to come. He’s also getting more confident, showing he’s comfortable around new enrichment items, like big boxes and boomer balls.
Omo is also meeting his neighbors. Watch as he says hello to common warthogs, Alexander and Penelope, through a fence, and gets nose-to-nose with his aunt, Kasai.
Four-month-old Nile hippo calf, Omo, is growing and learning every day. Although he’s still nursing to get all of the nutrients he needs, he has started to explore solid foods. Because his parents, Zambezi and Biko, and his aunt, Kasai, love to smash watermelons, we couldn’t resist seeing if Omo would be interested in this little melon, sized perfectly for our little hippo.
Omo is four months old today! He doesn’t quite have the teeth for chewing solid foods, but he sure does try! Omo is working on mastering mastication while his mom, Zambezi, patiently eats her dinner next to him. He still has a bit of work to do, but one day, we know he’ll be a chewing champ!
As Omo grows bigger by the day, so does his playfulness! Lately, our 3-month-old hippo has been spending his days practicing his porpoising, a behavior that hippos can exhibit to express excitement and playfulness. Instead of pushing off slowly from the bottom of the pool, like they usually do to resurface, porpoising hippos leap from the bottom, causing them to erupt from the water and make a big splash. Omo has a little way to go with his splashes, but we’re here to share his adorable efforts.
CMZoo’s four Nile hippos, Zambezi, Omo, Biko and Kasai, have had a busy summer and fall! If you’ve been following our newsletter updates and social media channels, you know that our three-month-old hippo, Omo, and his mom, Zambezi, have been bonding well and exploring all of the hippo spaces in Water’s Edge: Africa, while Omo grows like a weed. Zambezi’s sister, Kasai, and Omo’s dad, Biko, have also been staying busy meeting other Water’s Edge: Africa residents, participating in training and enrichment, and exploring their hippo home’s various yards and pools. Get the latest on our hippos with Water’s Edge: Africa keeper, Al, in this quick video update.
September was a big month for our quickly growing Nile hippo calf. He got a name, explored new spaces and tried new foods. One thing didn’t change for young Omo, though: his love for naps.
Join Water’s Edge: Africa keeper, Grace, for an update on our two-month-old calf, and hear about how Omo’s following in mom’s footsteps literally and figuratively. Zambezi is a confident hippo, and her little boy is showing signs he’ll be just the same!
Check out Omo’s complete video playlist, here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUd9bK-IbrIMxpwuRlrLaZfU4fFwB9cPG.
The #CMZoo staff votes are in, and it’s time to reveal the name of our baby hippo! Keepers set up an extra-special breakfast of carrots, oranges and hay for Zambezi in the shape of her calf’s new name. As we show you the video in reverse, his name will be revealed!
Following the theme of the names of his mom, Zambezi, and aunt, Kasai, the calf was named after a river in Africa. The seasonal flooding of this river is vital for food cultivation by the indigenous groups that live along it. Water conservation is an important focus of Water’s Edge: Africa, and our hope is that the calf’s name will help us share these stories with guests and inspire them to take action to save water.
Next time you visit the Zoo, be sure to say hello to….watch the video to find out the name!