Channel
Zoo News and Events
Keepers at ZSL London Zoo have shared envy-inducing footage of pygmy hippo Nicky cooling off in her private pool this morning - during this week’s summer scorcher.
Nicky, who lives at the Zoo’s Into Africa area with her pal Thug, has been doing daily lengths of their private pool during the country-wide heatwave, as visitors look on.
While the hippo paddle was a cooling one for Nicky, pygmy hippos are naturally well adapted to the sun: they actually sweat their own ‘sunscreen’ - a mixture of red and orange pigment that absorbs UV rays and protect their skin from sun damage.
Travel the World at London Zoo this summer; explore the Indian forest home of Asiatic lions, spy tigers in the long grasses of the Indonesian-inspired Tiger Territory and head Into Africa to spot towering giraffes and wallowing pygmy hippos. Tickets must be booked in advance.
