Hippo Rescued From San Diego Backyard Thrives At Ramona Wildlife Center

Photo: Getty Images

A shocking San Diego story from the early 2000s has resurfaced in the new year.

In 2002 an Escondido homeowner was reported after it was revealed they were raising a hippopotamus in their backyard.

Andy Blue from the San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center was the one to answer the call.

"I honestly thought it was going to be a pig or something like that," he said in an interview with CBS8's Jeff Zevely.

But it was in fact a hippo in a San Diego backyard, "Hannah," a pygmy hippo who was suffering from sunburn and needed to be rescued.

According to a report from Wired on May 29, 2002, Arthur Stehly had kept the hippo in his suburban backyard for at least a decade.

"I was able to coax her into a trailer," said Andy. "She was very easy going and she went right in." 

Hannah the Hippo was taken to the San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center and has spent the past 20 years living large.

While pygmy hippos in the wild usually live about 25 years, Hannah just celebrated her 48th birthday on November 22.

Andy believes she could be the oldest pygmy hippo living in the United States.

The San Diego Human Society's Ramona Wildlife Center is currently home to 22 ambassador animals. To find out more information click here.


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