Woodland Park Zoo's 2 hippos to leave Seattle later this year

Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo will soon be hippoless.

The zoo announced Thursday that it will soon begin the process of finding new homes for its two hippos, Water Lily (Lily) and Guadalupe (Lupe).

Lupe, who turned 20 in November, is a good age for breeding and has been recommended to do so by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. However, Woodland Park Zoo's hippo exhibit is not large enough for breeding, as there is space for only two hippos (not enough for two parents and a calf) and no way to separate the male and female hippos when appropriate.

So, Lupe will need to move to a larger facility to breed. That would leave 41-year-old Lily alone in Seattle, but hippos are highly social animals that need companionship, Woodland Park Zoo officials said in an emailed news release. Lily is also physically healthy enough to make a move now that may be challenging in a few years as she ages. (Hippos in captivity can live into their 50s.)

Zoo officials determined the best thing for both of them is to re-home them.

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“Lily and Lupe are beloved by our staff and community. This decision was not made lightly, and we will all be sad to see them leave,” Alejandro Grajal, Woodland Park Zoo president and CEO, said in the release. “Despite this, our highest commitment is to the full-life care and wellness of our animals. We want them to continue to thrive and will do everything we can to prepare them for a safe and successful move.”

Their new homes were expected to be identified by spring, and the animals were expected to move in fall or later.

Woodland Park Zoo staff will accompany the hippos as they move to help them acclimate to their new surroundings. It is not yet known if the hippos will move together or will need to go to different destinations.

Once Lily and Lupe are gone, Woodland Park Zoo does not plan to bring more hippos to the zoo to improve its water sustainability.

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Two to three times each week, the hippo pool is drained, cleaned and refilled with water. This process makes up almost 20% of the zoo's total water usage per year.

In light of this, zoo officials will spend the next few months figuring out the best way to use the space once designated for hippos, keeping in mind animal welfare and sustainability, the release said.

Lupe was born in November 1999 at Disney's Animal Kingdom and has been at Woodland Park Zoo since 2003. She weighs 2,900 lbs. Lily was born in August 1978 at Houston Zoo and has been at Woodland Park Zoo since she was a little over 1 year old. She weighs 2,980 lbs.