Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
San Diego's 'Smiling Hippo' Dies at Age 45
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
November 16, 2021

Share

A 45-year-old male river hippopotamus named Otis and nicknamed the “smiling hippo” has died at the San Diego Zoo.

Otis had been under care for degenerative joint and spinal disease and a decision to euthanize him was made last weekend when his condition declined dramatically, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said in tweet Monday.

Otis Born in the Wild

Otis got his nickname in 2010 because of viral photo taken by a zoo visitor that captured him with his teeth displayed in what looked like a giant grin, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The 4,500-pound hippo was born in the wild in East Africa and went to the Los Angeles Zoo before being transferred to San Diego in 2009 to mate with a female named Funani, the newspaper said.

“Otis will be greatly missed by wildlife care staff, veterinarians, volunteers, and guests,” the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Elon Musk Exiting Trump’s Team After Criticizing the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

DON'T MISS

Tulare Student Will Compete in Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals

DON'T MISS

Federal Trade Court Blocks Trump From Imposing Sweeping Tariffs Under Emergency Powers Law

DON'T MISS

Why Did the California Senate Shunt a Cost-Cutting Housing Bill?

DON'T MISS

Fresno Teachers Call for Probe After Superintendent Orders Up Dossier Against Union

DON'T MISS

US Court Blocks Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs

DON'T MISS

Rubio Says US Will Start Revoking Visas for Chinese Students

DON'T MISS

CA Man’s 378-Year Sentence Overturned After Judge Rules Accuser May Have Made Up Charges

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Faces Life in Prison for Fentanyl, Gun Charges

DON'T MISS

Tiger’s Son, Charlie Woods, Wins Team TaylorMade Invitational in Claiming 1st AJGA Event

UP NEXT

PG&E Sees Surge in AI Data Center Interest With Fresno Area Emerging as New Hotspot

UP NEXT

SF-Based Salesforce Is Buying Informatica in $8 Billion Deal

UP NEXT

Why Kamala Harris Could Run for California Governor and Bypass Another White House Bid

UP NEXT

Urban Fires Can Mean Long Trips for Helicopters to Get Water. One Firefighter Had a Better Idea

UP NEXT

Daisy Can’t See or Hear, but She Knows How to Love

UP NEXT

California Allocates $56 Million to Combat Youth Homelessness

UP NEXT

All Six People Aboard Plane That Crashed in San Diego Confirmed Dead

UP NEXT

Low-Income Compton Students Get $225M State-of-the-Art High School Campus

UP NEXT

Will the Pacific Coast Highway Reopen for Memorial Day Weekend?

UP NEXT

Meet Petunia. She Makes Hearts Melt With Every Purr

Why Did the California Senate Shunt a Cost-Cutting Housing Bill?

11 hours ago

Fresno Teachers Call for Probe After Superintendent Orders Up Dossier Against Union

12 hours ago

US Court Blocks Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs

12 hours ago

Rubio Says US Will Start Revoking Visas for Chinese Students

12 hours ago

CA Man’s 378-Year Sentence Overturned After Judge Rules Accuser May Have Made Up Charges

13 hours ago

Fresno Man Faces Life in Prison for Fentanyl, Gun Charges

14 hours ago

Tiger’s Son, Charlie Woods, Wins Team TaylorMade Invitational in Claiming 1st AJGA Event

14 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: The Human Side of Law Enforcement

14 hours ago

CIF Expands Field, Changes Medal Rules for State Track Championships Amid Trump Pushback

14 hours ago

Get Ready for Several Years of Killer Heat, Top Weather Forecasters Warn

15 hours ago

Elon Musk Exiting Trump’s Team After Criticizing the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

WASHINGTON — Elon Musk is leaving his government role as a top adviser to President Donald Trump after spearheading efforts to reduce and ov...

10 hours ago

Elon Musk listens as President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP/Alex Brandon)
10 hours ago

Elon Musk Exiting Trump’s Team After Criticizing the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

11 hours ago

Tulare Student Will Compete in Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals

11 hours ago

Federal Trade Court Blocks Trump From Imposing Sweeping Tariffs Under Emergency Powers Law

11 hours ago

Why Did the California Senate Shunt a Cost-Cutting Housing Bill?

12 hours ago

Fresno Teachers Call for Probe After Superintendent Orders Up Dossier Against Union

President Donald Trump holds a chart next to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick as Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
12 hours ago

US Court Blocks Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (not pictured) at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 28, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
12 hours ago

Rubio Says US Will Start Revoking Visas for Chinese Students

13 hours ago

CA Man’s 378-Year Sentence Overturned After Judge Rules Accuser May Have Made Up Charges

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend