@cincinnatizoo: Fritz is a very quick learner and is the only hippo in our bloat that knows a lay "down" behavior. He naturally likes to lay down facing the keeper space with his little feet poking out under the gates, so it made sense to begin trying to desensitize him to having his feet touched for various reasons. Historically we have trained for our hippos to do blood draws from their tails, but some hippos are trained for blood draws from their feet. So after seeing Fritz didn't mind having his foot touched or poked, we decided to try and get blood from his foot. Hippos have very tough skin, so there are only a few places on their body that we can draw blood from. We practiced with Fiona for months before she was ready for a blood draw, but Fritz was ready after just a few sessions. He even lays down and puts his foot out without being told to when the space is opened up for him where the blood draw is done. This will help us get important information about his health without causing him any extra stress. #animalcare #hippo #animals #cincinnatizoo

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Wednesday 18 June 2025 19:09:05 GMT