Hippo survived for 5 years in the Australian outback.
Hunters going after pigs in Australia’s Northwest Territories got a big surprise when they shot an animal they mistook for a pig, only to find out it was a pygmy hippopotamus, reports the Northwest Territory News.
There is only one problem: pygmy hippos are native to West Africa, 16,000 kilometers (nearly 10,000 miles) from Australia.
It is believed that the individual pygmy hippo was once a resident of an exotic animal park called Tipperary Station, which closed in 2003. The hippo is thought to have escaped. If this proves to be the case, the pygmy hippo had survived in the Australian outback for five years.
Pygmy hippos are classified as Endangered by the IUCN and despite conservation efforts their population is still decreasing. The species is threatened by the bushmeat trade, habitat loss due to intensive logging, and continued instability in the region.
They are found in Liberia, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone with Liberia containing the most viable populations.
Pygmy hippopotamus pair at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy. The two were a gift to the people of Kenya.
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