Japan: Male hippo found out to be female after years
A zoo in Japan recently confirmed a surprising revelation: a hippopotamus believed to be male for seven years is female! Zookeepers, suspicious of 12-year-old Gen-chan's behavior, prompted a DNA test. Gen-chan, who arrived in Osaka from Mexico in 2017, was originally identified as male in customs documents. "We will keep doing our best to provide a comfortable environment to Gen-chan," the zoo told BBC.
Gen-chan's real sex confirmed
Last week, Osaka Tennoji Zoo announced on its website that Gen-chan's real sex was confirmed. According to the statement, Gen-chan initially came to the zoo from the Africam Safari Animal Park in Mexico at the age of five and was identified as a male. The zoo explained that due to Gen-chan's young age at the time of arrival, they did not question the documents.
Hippopotamus did not exhibit male behaviours
As Gen-chan matured, zookeepers grew suspicious due to the absence of visually identifiable male reproductive organs. A spokeswoman from Osaka Tennoji Zoo informed AFP that Gen-chan did not exhibit typical male hippopotamus behaviors, such as emitting courtship calls to female hippos or marking territory by scattering feces around with a propeller-like tail motion during defecation.
Significance of gender verification
In August 2017, Osaka Zoo named the hippo "Gen-chan", acknowledging its energetic movements. Despite the revelation, the zoo confirmed that Gen-chan will not undergo a name change. Mainichi newspaper quotes the zoo's vice director Kiyoshi Yasufuku stating, "We recognize the importance of confirming the sex, and we want to ensure that such mistakes will not happen again."
Understanding hippopotamus behavior
Spending most of their time wallowing in shallow waters, hippos provide little indication of their genders. The distinction between male and female hippos lies in subtle physical traits, with males typically larger in size and possessing longer tusks. However, behavior serves as the true indicator of hippo gender. If someone gets too close to his female counterparts, a male hippo is likely to warn.
Alpha-male's dominance
With wide-open jaws revealing tusks up to 20 inches long, along with roars, head-shaking, and lunges, these displays can escalate to potentially fatal attacks. In a herd mostly comprised of females, one dominant male and several subordinate males coexist. The alpha male, typically the sole breeder, showcases his dominance by urinating on himself and propelling his feces with his tail, impressing the female hippos.
