The sad fate of the 18-year old Taiwanese hippopotamus Ah-Ho made international news this week.
The nearly 2-ton hippo, Ah-Ho, died on Monday after a second accident. He first fell off a truck and broke his leg as he was being transferred from a temporary shelter to a recreational farm in Taichung called Skyzoo, where he had lived for the past eight years. But his death occurred from a second fall. In the second fall, the ropes securing the shipping container that was holding him snapped, sending the container plunging to the ground from a height of two meters.
In regards to Ah-Ho’s story, the online Wall Street Journal highlighted the government’s responsibility in keeping private zoos in check. Taiwan is home to 37 private zoos, according to the Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan. Private zoos and recreational farms have become popular in recent years. Animal activists said Ah-ho was not kept in a safe container or accompanied by a vet during his initial transport, as the law required.
Ah-Ho’s sad fate also made it on the Euronews.
The World Wildlife Fund said although it usually focuses on protecting animals in the wild, it regrets seeing an animal dying from abuse by its owners.