AUSTRALIA lost its oldest hippopotamus named “Brutus,” who died at the age of 54 at a zoo in Adelaide on Thursday.

Brutus, who was born in 1965, was the second-oldest hippo in captivity anywhere in the world. Brutus lived a long life, beyond the lifespan of a normal hippo, who typically lives for 40-50 years. Donna, the hippo, holds the record for the oldest living hippo in captivity as she died at the age of 61 in 2012 at the Mesker Park Zoo in Indiana, the United States.

According to Zoos South Australia, Brutus was euthanized by the veterinary staff due to his advanced years and concerns that age-related conditions were likely to cause him further discomfort over the winter period.

“Brutus was unable to hold off the advance of time and our latest aged-animal assessment revealed that there was nothing else that could have been done to improve the quality of his life,” chief executive of the zoo, Elaine Bensted, said.

The much-loved hippo was born at Taronga Zoo in Sydney to Billy and Mumsy and arrived at Adelaide zoo in 1975, where he had lived for 45 years. Brutus’ long-term female partner Susie died in 2017 and is survived by two hippos, his granddaughter Brindabella and great-grandaughter Pansy, both of whom reside at Werribee Open Range Zoo in Victoria.

(SD-Agencies)