Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

On March 10, 2025, at 4:22 AM, a male pygmy hippopotamus named "Thabo," who had arrived from the Singapore Zoo's Mandai Wildlife Group in November 2024, was sadly confirmed dead by veterinarians. This news deeply saddened the team of caretakers who had been looking after Thabo for the past few months.

Thabo arrived at Taipei Zoo in November 2024. After a month-long quarantine period, he was then transferred to the African Animal Area. Naturally cautious, shy, and a selective eater, Thabo initially heavily relied on the care and attention of the zookeepers. The team worked diligently to help him adjust to his new environment, carefully managing his food and interactions to reduce stress. Although he was slowly becoming accustomed to Taipei’s climate and surroundings, on February 11, 2025, a small wound was discovered on Thabo's right leg. The care team immediately began treating the injury, but Thabo was reluctant to take the prescribed medicine due to its taste. Despite their efforts to clean and treat his wound daily, multiple abscesses appeared on his body, and the team conducted further blood tests to determine the cause of his worsening condition.

In an attempt to support his recovery, the zookeepers provided Thabo with a variety of delicious foods to boost his energy and nutrition, but his appetite remained poor, leading to poor nutrient absorption and gradual physical weakness. The colder-than-usual winter weather, with sharp fluctuations in temperature, further stressed Thabo, who had been accustomed to the warm and stable climate of Singapore.

As his condition continued to deteriorate, an emergency care team was set up on March 9, 2025, to monitor Thabo 24/7. Despite these efforts, his blood work showed persistent abnormalities: elevated white blood cells, high muscle markers, low blood sugar, and rising liver and kidney levels. Tragically, Thabo passed away early this morning in the presence of his caretakers, the section manager, veterinarians, and veterinary assistants. This morning, the veterinary team from National Taiwan University’s College of Veterinary Medicine assisted in an autopsy. The results indicated that Thabo's malnutrition, combined with circulatory issues and infections, led to a rapid decline in his health, and ultimately, he was unable to recover.

The loss of Thabo is a significant blow to the team, especially given the effort that went into his long-awaited genetic exchange, which was part of global species conservation efforts. While the passing of any animal is always difficult, the collaboration between conservation organizations, zoos, and animal centers remains crucial to maintaining healthy populations and genetic diversity, particularly for endangered species.

We are grateful for the brief time Thabo spent with us and thank him for his presence at Taipei Zoo.