The threatened environment of the baby hippopotamus that became a global internet sensation – 01/10/2024 – Environment

In recent weeks, thousands of people have visited the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand.

On a recent weekend, about 20,000 people visited the site to watch a two-month-old mammal eating and playing, according to The Independent.

Visitors went there to see a prominent celebrity, who attracted international attention on social media and inspired a series of beauty tutorials, with her rosy cheeks.

This viral sensation is Moo Deng —a female pygmy hippo born in July, known for her tiny stature and disconcerting cuteness.

Moo Deng belongs to a stealthy and vulnerable species called Choeropsis liberiensisnative to West Africa. And while it is gaining fame, its relatives in the wild are becoming increasingly rare as its habitat shrinks.

Pygmy hippos are the smallest species of hippopotamus in the world. They are listed as animals at risk of extinction on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.

In the most recent global survey of the species, in 2015, there were less than 2,500 adult individuals alive in the wild.

They are considered extinct in Nigeria, one of the West African countries where they were once endemic. But small populations still exist in Liberia, Ivory Coast, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Nocturnal and solitary mammal

In their natural habitat, pygmy hippos live on land, in forested areas along rivers, streams and swamps, to keep their skin moist. They feed mainly on grass, leaves, shoots and fruits, at night and around sunrise and sunset.

These charismatic animals have long been part of West African culture and folklore.

A Liberian legend tells that animals find their way through the forest at night, carrying diamonds in their mouths to light the way.

And a story told in Ivory Coast guarantees that anyone who looks at a pygmy hippo’s tail and laughs will go crazy.

But despite their place in local culture, pygmy hippos are enigmatic and have not been studied as intensively as their larger cousins. They are mainly nocturnal, secretive and relatively solitary animals. Therefore, it is difficult to conduct research on them in the forests of West Africa.

Because of their secretive nature, scholars can only learn about pygmy hippos from hidden cameras, tracking footprints and other signs, scat samples, and making models to estimate their numbers and explore their movements.

The nonprofit Fauna & Flora International and the Liberia Forestry Development Authority even used environmental DNA (eDNA) technology to search for evidence of the creatures in the river basins of southeastern Liberia — a technique that involves analyzing DNA found in the its habitat.

Pygmy hippos kept in captivity as part of breeding programs have also provided greater scientific knowledge about these mammals.

Habitat reduction

The pygmy hippopotamus has been considered a protected species for decades. But researcher Bogui Elie Bandama, from the Swiss Center for Scientific Research in Côte d’Ivoire, says research work increased after 2010, when pressures on its habitat increased significantly.

Large areas of original forest, especially in Côte d’Ivoire, have been destroyed or degraded. Some stretches were deforested, for example, to create oil palm, cocoa and rubber plantations.

Pressure to extract timber is another threat. Liberian forests have been largely cut down and the country is struggling to maintain control over illegal logging. Local residents throughout the region also cut down trees to obtain firewood.

But a growing threat, according to Bogui, is the illegal extraction of minerals. In Taï National Park, in Côte d’Ivoire, people mine in search of gold deposited in rivers and streams.

The extent of deforestation and degradation of forest habitat makes it very difficult for pygmy hippos to survive in the wild, according to veterinary consultant Gabriella Flacke, part of the Pygmy Hippo Species Survival Plan and part of the IUCN hippo specialist group.

Flacke explains that the species, naturally, already had a restricted habitat, which makes it particularly vulnerable to this type of loss.

“There’s nowhere else they can go,” Flacke says. “Their natural environment is getting smaller and smaller and there is simply less space for their natural behavior, their reproduction and for them to have the needs of their ecosystem available.”

In addition to facing the threat of habitat reduction, pygmy hippos are also affected by hunters for their meat. But work to better understand and protect this threatened species continues.

Pygmy hippos are legally protected in all four West African countries that make up their natural environment. But the level of protection varies.

“Ivory Coast is probably the best equipped country for the job,” says Flacke. “The country is very stable politically, compared to Liberia and Sierra Leone. And they have more resources and better infrastructure.”

Bogui conducts research in Taï National Park, which is the largest protected primary tropical forest in West Africa. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

“This park offers an appropriate habitat for the pygmy hippo, with food and, above all, protection, even if it is not 100% guaranteed,” he says.

Bogui estimates that there are currently 800 to 1,000 individuals there. And, according to him, the Ivorian government carries out conservation work, such as planting trees and improving legislation to protect pygmy hippos.

Community work

At the same time, Liberia was the first country to develop a national conservation strategy for the species, with the support of the organization Fauna & Flora International, in 2013.

Since that time, research has demonstrated that Sapo National Park – the largest area of ​​intact forest ecosystem in the Upper Guinea region – is a fundamental stronghold for the species.

Fauna & Flora’s technical specialist in West Africa, Neus Estela, says that a fundamental objective of the entity’s conservation strategy is to connect all remaining populations of the pygmy hippopotamus.

To this end, she collaborates on land assessment to identify possible conservation corridors in southeastern Liberia.

Poverty and corruption are still important barriers to combating habitat loss for this and other threatened species.

One solution being developed by Fauna & Flora with the Liberian government and communities is the establishment of a project based on the REDD+ forest conservation program, supported by the United Nations.

The aim is to combat the drivers of deforestation and degradation, while supporting the livelihoods of local residents and respecting land ownership rights.

Flacke would like to see more focus efforts that involve local West African communities.

“There is a lot of local interest,” she explains. “They know that the pygmy hippo is a symbolic species, perhaps a keystone species for the ecosystem. But the reality of conservation is that if there is no infrastructure and resources to support it, people will struggle no matter how much they may be motivated or dedicated.”

To try to resolve this issue, a pilot project funded by the Basel Zoo in Switzerland encourages unemployed young people living near the Gola forests in Sierra Leone and Liberia to become ambassadors for this endangered species.

The Pygmy Hippo Foundation also trains community rangers in Sapo National Park to monitor and protect pygmy hippo populations.

Despite years of studies, in the wild and in captivity, there is still a lot we don’t know about the way of life of pygmy hippos.

Flacke hopes, for example, to find out more about the size of their natural habitat and whether, in the wild, they act the same way as they do in captivity.

The pygmy hippopotamus probably plays an important role in its local ecosystem. Researchers speculate that, like the common hippopotamus, perhaps they can help disperse seeds and recycle nutrients by spreading their feces. Maybe they will even raise river banks.

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) identified pygmy hippos as a conservation priority in 2007, based on its Limit of Existence Program. But the organization told the BBC that it no longer carries out significant work for this species.

There are about 450 pygmy hippos in captivity worldwide, according to Flacke. They can attract extreme attention from people – which, for such a shy creature, can be distressing or even dangerous.

In recent weeks, Moo Deng has been harassed by some visitors, prompting the zoo to increase security around her.

Bogui highlights that zoos are a way to preserve endangered species, but it is much better to keep their original habitat intact.

An updated assessment of pygmy hippos by the IUCN is expected next year. Flacke predicts the numbers will drop again.

“They still exist, we know that. But there are certainly populations that have not been seen in the last 20 years, there are no footprints, no feces, no teeth marks,” she says. “Where are they going? Well, they’re disappearing.”

While Moo Deng captivates human hearts around the world, thousands like her face hardship.

This text was originally published here.