The 65-Year-Old Bertha Dubbed As The World’s Oldest Hippopotamus Died in Manila Zoo At The Age Of 65
Bertha, the world’s oldest hippopotamus died at the age of 65 in Manila Zoo, which is long enough for the typical lifespan of herbivorous mammals.
On Monday (July 10, 2017), Manila Zoo announced that the 2.5 tons female hippopotamus had already died. The hippo had beaten the typical lifespan of most herbivorous mammals who only live for a couple of decades.
On Friday (July 07, 2017), Zoo director James Dichaves found the female hippo dead inside of her enclosure. He also explained that Bertha died from multiple organ failures through a mortem examination. He also concludes that the animal was the oldest resident in the zoo.
“Bertha was among the pioneer animals here. Her mate died sometime in the 1980s and the couple failed to produce any offspring,” said by Dichaves quoted by Inquirer.
Dichaves said that the zoo lost the records of Bertha, so they can identify where did she come from. He also said that the female hippopotamus arrived at the zoo in the Philippines in 1959, when she was still 7-year-old.
The female hippo usually eats bread, fruit, and grass, she was able to live more than 40-50 years, which are the typical lifespan of a hippopotamus. The officials of the zoo also believe that Bertha was the oldest living hippo from the time of her captivity until death.
The 65-year-old hippo beats the record of Donna, a 62-year-old hippo who died in 2012. She also even beat Bertie, a 58-year-old male hippo who was euthanized at Denver Zoo in Colorado.
Mali, a 43-year-old female Asian elephant is the oldest animal remaining at the Manila Zoo after Bertha died last Friday, according to Dichaves. Animal rights groups wanted Mali to retire from the zoo for allegedly suffering loneliness and cruelty in the zoo.
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