Born in the Dallas Zoo in February 1969, Patti the Hippo was a river hippopotamus who was soon moved to the Milwaukee Zoo in 1972. During her time at the zoo, she became a very big attraction, often known for interacting with the guests and having a soft spot for children.

She became friends with many of the other hippos in the zoo, including her best friend Happy, who arrived at the zoo in 2009 and is still alive today. Four years after Patti arrived at the zoo, Patti gave birth to a baby hippo named Puddles.

On August 11th, 2013, Puddles died at 37 years old after having trouble breathing. The zookeepers decided to monitor Patti to see if she was reacting well to the loss. Surprisingly, Patti adjusted well and got right back to playing with Happy. In her later years, she was known for participating in blood draws, having fruit thrown into her mouth, and opening her mouth to have water sprayed into it.

On November 10th of this year, Patti was noted by her caretakers as being lethargic and not as active as she once was, being disinterested in dinner. As the zoo closed, her health quickly declined and the zookeepers decided to humanely euthanize her. After she died, she was declared the longest living hippo in an U.S. zoo at 55 years old. Milwaukee Zoo has decided to add 2 new hippos to the enclosure and give more room to these animals, including Happy, who is now being monitored closely.

References

La Roche, Mariana. “Oldest hippo in U.S. zoos dies at Milwaukee Zoo at age 55” WISN 12, Nowcast, 14/11/24, https://www.wisn.com/article/oldest-hippo-in-us-zoos-dies-at-milwaukee-zoo-at-age-55/62908724.

Atenow, Don. “Patti the Hippo (1969-2024)” World Animal Protection US, World Animal Protection, 19/11/24,

https://www.worldanimalprotection.us/obituaries/browse/patti-the-hippo/#:~:text=Patti%2C%20a%20 river%20 hippopotamus%2C%20 was,the%20time%20of%20her%20 death.

Tanzilo, Bobby. “Rest in peace, Patti the Hippo” On Milwaukee Articles, On Milwaukee, 14/11/24,

https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/patti-the-hippo.