A pygmy hippopotamus named Thabo, originally from Singapore, has been confirmed dead by the Taipei Zoo due to what the zoo said was malnutrition and infection.
In a statement yesterday, the Taipei Zoo, which was home to Thabo, confirmed that the 2-year-old hippo from Singapore’s Mandai Wildlife Group passed away sometime after 4 am, despite efforts to treat it over the past month.
Taipei Zoo spokesperson Tsao Hsien-shao (曹先紹) said caring for large animals is difficult, as they cannot be easily given injections or IV drops or be tube-fed.
Photo courtesy of Taipei Zoo via CNA
Tsao also mentioned Thabo’s shyness as a factor in its care. The zoo’s team tried hiding medication in its feed, but the hippo refused to take it, Tsao said.
Pygmy hippos, which live in forests, savannas, and wetlands, are listed as “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This status indicates that the number of mature individuals has decreased to between 2,000 and 2,499 worldwide.
According to the zoo’s statement, Thabo arrived at the Taipei Zoo in mid-November 2024 and was first seen by the public in January 2025.
On Feb. 11, a zookeeper noticed a wound on Thabo’s right foot and began treating it with oral medication and daily cleaning. The hippo refused the medication, however, and kept avoiding the zookeepers, making treatment difficult.
As Thabo developed more lumps on its body, the condition worsened due to the cold air mass and drastic temperature fluctuations between day and night, as Thabo was accustomed to the stable, warm weather of Singapore.
On Sunday, the care team set up an emergency unit to provide round-the-clock care, but Thabo’s white blood cell count, muscle index, and other indicators related to liver and kidney function continued to rise before the animal’s death.
An autopsy performed by a veterinary team from National Taiwan University later confirmed that Thabo suffered from malnutrition and infection, the zoo said.
Tsao said the zoo will continue to investigate the causes of Thabo’s death to determine whether the zoo’s environment posed any risk to other animals, while also reflecting on how care procedures might be improved.
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