World’s Oldest Hippopotamus Dies At Age 65 (photos)

The world’s oldest hippopotamus named Bertha has died aged 65. The Manila zoo in Phillipines made the announcement on Monday (Jul 10), saying Bertha beat the typical lifespan for the mostly herbivorous mammals by decades.

The 2.5-tonne female, pictured above, was found dead Friday in her enclosure, with a post mortem examination concluding that Bertha, the zoo’s oldest resident, had died from multiple organ failure.

Zoo director James Dichaves told AFP:

“Bertha was among the pioneer animals here. Her mate died sometime in the 1980s and the couple failed to produce any offspring.”

A seven-year-old Bertha arrived at the zoo in the Philippines’ capital the year it opened in 1959. The zoo has lost the records of where she came from, Dichaves said.

Fed a diet of grass, fruit, and bread, Bertha lived far beyond the 40 to 50 year lifespans which are typical for the species in the wild and in captivity respectively, Dichaves said.

Zoo officials believed Bertha was the oldest living hippo in captivity at the time of her death.

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