From Richard Reynolds #3

Budapest is famous for its hippos with a long record of successful breeding. They too are kept in the old elephant house. They thrive there partly because the water for their bathing is provided by warm natural springs beneath the zoo. So too for the elephants. Whereas hippos were once a staple of the big zoo, that is no longer true in USA, particularly the big common or Nile hippo. They are no longer to be seen at such major places as National Zoo, Washington and Bronx zoo. The idea is to use needed space for more endangered animals and the pygmy hippo fits that bill.