Pygmy hippos are secretive, nocturnal forest dwellers from West Africa. Their welfare in zoo settings requires meeting their highly specific environmental and dietary needs.
Pygmy hippos in zoo settings require careful management of their water, diet, and social conditions. As solitary animals, they should generally not be forced into permanent company — pairs are maintained for breeding with careful monitoring of compatibility. Their aquatic needs are essential but often underestimated — daily pool access for thermoregulation and hygiene is not optional. Dietary variety reflecting their browsing ecology — fruits, leaves, root vegetables — is more welfare-positive than grazing-based diets. Zoos that invest in appropriate exhibit design and keeper relationship building through positive reinforcement achieve good welfare outcomes and successful breeding.