The breeding of hippos in the Ostrava Zoo, in the Czech Republic, began in 1967 with the import of a six-year-old female who lived in Ostrava until her death in 2009.

The second hippo was a male brought in 1967, who lived in the zoo for 50 years and died at the end of 2018.

The third hippopotamus brought to Ostrava in 2016 was a young female from the English Whipsnade Zoo.

So far, the last hippopotamus brought to the Ostrava Zoo was a male from the Antwerp Zoo, which was imported in October 2019 and formed a couple with a young female.

The video captures a breeding pair of hippos with a cub.

A total of 33 hippos have been born in the zoo to date, of which 19 have been bred. This made the Ostrava Zoo the most successful breeder in the Czech Republic.

Water is an environment in which hippos spend up to 18 hours a day.

Mating also occurs in water. Females give birth and even nurse their cubs in the water.

A number of anatomical and physiological features make it easier for hippos to stay in the water, such as closable nose openings on the upper part of the head, small eyes and movable earlobes with the ability to close the ear openings.