[Forum] FW: hipopótamo pigmeo.

[forum at aicas.org]

>I am having a problem with the female hippo kept in our collection, 
>behaviour wise, and I wondered I you any of you could provide some 
>information or knew of someone that could.
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>She is with her cub (male), who is nearly ten months old now.  The father 
>is separated from both in another enclosure, but they can see and smell 
>each other.  Since yesterday the female is becoming very aggressive and 
>does not allow the little one to come close to her.  We suspect it may be 
>because she is in season but I am not sure how often she has her cycles, 
>last time we had an incident like this was three months ago but it lasted 
>just for a day, in this case seems to be lasting long.
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>I am thinking of separating the cub from the mother and putting him in the 
>enclosure with the father once things calm down between the mother and the 
>cub? What do you think of this? We were planning on doing this but maybe 
>wait till the cub was one year old, now if the mother does not want him 
>close by we may have to do it sooner, what I am worried is how the father 
>will react with the male cub.  The night he was born they spent the night 
>together and nothing happened and we have not seen in the father signs of 
>aggression towards the baby when they see and smell each other, on the 
>contrary.
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>Any comments or info will be more than welcome.
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>Thank you!
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>Candelaria Marina Gonzalez
Veterinaria Parque las Aguilas. Tenerife
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