Metro Richmond Zoo offers new outdoor pygmy hippo experience

Apr 11, 2025 - 20:25

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Metro Richmond Zoo offers new outdoor pygmy hippo experience

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Now that Poppy and Iris have been released into the outdoor Hippo Haven habitat, the Metro Richmond Zoo is offering a new experience for visitors to see them up close, starting Monday.

During the colder months, Poppy the pygmy hippo and her mother Iris stay in a climate-controlled indoor habitat, according to the Metro Richmond Zoo. But as spring approaches, March 28 marked the first time they were able to go outside.

Poppy and Iris (Photo: Metro Richmond Zoo)

Iris (Photo: Metro Richmond Zoo)

Beginning on Monday, April 14, visitors will have the opportunity to see Poppy and Iris in a setting that's more natural to them, as well as getting to stand mere feet away from where they play, sleep and graze.

The 30-minute experience costs $100 per person and aims to help people understand the endangered species on a deeper level. The experience includes, as described by the Metro Richmond Zoo:

Going behind the scenes at Hippo Haven
Entering the outdoor habitat and viewing the hippos up close from a safety zone with a barrier in between
Potential opportunities to feed produce to Iris and Poppy
Learning more about pygmy hippo behavior and conservation from a zoo team member