World of Animals
Now 12 years old, the huge semiaquatic mammal, named Gen-Chan, arrived at Osaka Zoo, Japan, in 2017, from a Mexican safari park. Her atypical behaviors revealed that, after all, she is a female.
Reproduction/Zoo Osaka
A hippopotamus Osaka Zoo, Western Japanwas mistaken as a male for years, until his unusual behavior and then a DNA test revealed that he was a female after all.
Now 12 years old, this enormous semiaquatic mammal arrived at Osaka Zoo in 2017 from a Mexican safari park.
Authorities assured that Gen-chan, as he was baptized, was a male, France-Presse (AFP) reported this Tuesday.
But as an adult, Gen-chan did not exhibit the typical behavior of males of his species, who mark their territory and assert their authority by spreading their excrement with a circular movement of their tail.
Gen-chan also did not court females and his keepers had difficulty visually verifying their sex, as hippos can be very dangerous.
“That’s why we requested a DNA test from an external institution and the result showed that it was a female”, the Osaka Zoo recently announced, specifying that it will not change the animal’s name.
“Chan” is an affectionate diminutive in Japan, often associated with children’s first names and, most commonly, girls’ names.
