Big Bertha At The Zoo

Who says theManila Zoo isn’t worth going to?

Animal Scene has been quietly going there for some time now to keep an eye on the various improvements being made there, and we’ve learned from its keepers and volunteers that health monitoring and regular nutritious feeding in controlled habitats can help extend the life spans of animals in the zoo, as compared to those in the wild, who are exposed to the dangers of poachers, diseases, lack of food, habitat loss, and nature’s harsh conditions.

We’ve got a soft spot for the aging hippo named Bertha. If you’ll recall, managing editor Jeffrey Lim fed her personally a few years back, and discovered:

- A hippo’s mouth can open as wide as 180 degrees

- While hippos are often thought to be carnivores, they are actually herbivores.

- Bertha loves grass, corn, and cabbage

- Despite her intimidating teeth, she is quite friendly and harmless.

- As a ‘senior citizen’ animal, her skin is mostly pinkish as compared to the charcoal gray of the skin of younger hippos.

- Hippos, say Bertha’s keepers, are the only animals that can produce their own sunblock? Which is a good thing as they are prone to skin cancer.

Jerry Young, vice president of Animal Welfare and Operations at the Manila Zoo, answered our questions about this senior animal and hopes that people will come and visit her at the zoo soon.

Q: Can you tell us when Bertha came to the country and how she was acquired by the Manila Zoo?

A: Since the Manila Zoo was designed by Cary Baldwin, director of the [Fleishacker/Fleishhacker] Zoo in Los Angeles, and given the strong diplomatic ties of the Philippines and the United States, it is safe to assume that Bertha came from a zoo somewhere in the United States. I say this because according to the zoo staff, all records of the early years were lost.