Chipoffu the Hippo joins friends in Midbarium in Be'er Sheva

Today (Thursday) is International Hippopotamus Day. The hippopotamus, whose presence cannot be ignored on any safari visit, is the third largest land mammal in the world. In fact, it is a semi-aquatic mammal that lives in rivers and lakes in Africa, often in large groups of up to 40 members. During the day, it cools its body by staying in water or mud, and in the evening hours, it grazes on grass. And in case you've ever wondered, the origin of the name "hippopotamus" comes from the Greek language - hippos (horse) potamos (river). In Hebrew, the hippopotamus is also called a "Yarkoni Horse."

Until now, the hippopotamus could only be seen in the safari in Ramat Gan, but recently, with the opening of Midbarium in Be'er Sheva, we discovered that this giant animal can also be seen in the desert climate. Recently, Chipoffu moved to live in Midbarium, straight from the safari in Ramat Gan. Chipoffu has joined Shmolik, and now both are acclimating in their new home. The two moved because they didn't find their place in the hippopotamus group in the safari.

Shmulik may be physically bigger than Chipufo, but he is more timid, and it seems that Chipufo is much more confident in their lake area in Midbarayim, the animal park in Be'er Sheva, named after Jack Joseph and Morton Mandel, which recently opened for operation, and the public is invited to come and enjoy the natural surroundings, the animals, and the facilities.