Japan In Focus

Japan’s Oldest Hippo ‘Zan’ Dies at 49; Had Been Popular Attraction at Sapporo Maruyama Zoo

Courtesy of Sapporo Maruyama Zoo
Zan the hippo, a popular animal at Sapporo Maruyama Zoo in Chuo Ward, is seen on Oct. 15.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:38 JST, November 20, 2024

SAPPORO — The oldest hippopotamus in Japan, a 49-year-old female called Zan, died Nov. 3, Sapporo Maruyama Zoo has announced.

Zan appears to have died of old age.

Zan was born at the zoo in July 1975 and had been a popular attraction for almost half a century. However, Zan’s appetite had decreased since March, and she had been reluctant to get out of her pool and could not smoothly open her mouth. Zoo staff treated Zan with medication, but her condition had deteriorated from Oct. 30.

According to the zoo, a hippo in the wild has an average life expectancy of 30 to 40 years, and those in captivity typically live for 45 to 55 years. Zan was the only hippo at the zoo, which will consider bringing in another hippo in her place.

The zoo is in Chuo Ward, Sapporo.