Antwerp Zoo is to say goodbye to one of its icons. The zoo’s hippo Hermien will be put to sleep at the end of this month. At 43 years old, Hermien is very old and she is suffering a lot due to age-related ailments. With Hermien’s daughter Imani soon to leave for a new home at a zoo in Ireland, in a few months there will be no more hippos at Antwerp Zoo.
The zoo’s chief veterinarian Jonas Spruyt told VRT News that “Hermien is not doing well. She is really very old. In the wild hippos live to be about 35. Hermien will soon turn 44.” Not surprisingly, she has numerous age-related ailments and health issues. These include arthritis, rheumatism and abscesses.
Dr Spruyt added that “She also has bedsores because she has difficulty standing up and she has very bad skin. Autumn and winter are coming, so the severe symptoms she has now will only get worse”.
Dr Spruyt added that although Hermien is very well-loved by everyone at the zoo “I wouldn’t be doing my job as a vet properly if we waited any longer”.
Waiting any longer before putting Hermien to sleep could mean a very unpleasant end for the elderly hippo. “She could drown in her pond because her joints can no longer support her. Or we might find her in her own urine and faeces because she can no longer move.”
Both scenarios would be an unworthy end or an animal like Hermien. “Particularly for our icon, our beautiful Hermien. Putting her to sleep is the right thing to do.” Visitors to the zoo will have until the end of the month to say a last goodbye to Hermien the hippo.
The end of an era
Dr Spruyt went on to say that “It will be difficult and hard to put down such a wonderful animal. But we are 100% convinced that it is the right choice.”
The decision wasn’t taken overnight, and the zoo’s management sought the advice of experts and zookeepers before taking the decision to have Hermien put down.
Hermien has been given treatment for her ailments for some time. “We have tried all kinds of treatments. We also tried different types of painkillers in various doses.” However, this was all to little avail and Hermien is still in pain. “If you really love animals, you have to say goodbye when there is no other way.”
Hermien has lived at Antwerp Zoo since 1985. The Hermien’s imminent death and the departure of Imani marks the end of an era. Dwarf hippos will eventually be housed in the hippo enclosure currently occupied by Hermien and Imani.