- World Hippo Day is celebrated every year on 15 February.
- It is celebrated to raise awareness about the conservation, protection and appreciation of one of Africa's most iconic and beloved animals – the hippopotamus.
- The day was officially established to commemorate the anniversary of the opening of the Turgwe Hippo Trust in Zimbabwe.
- It is a pioneering conservation project dedicated to the conservation and study of hippos in their natural habitat.
- The hippo population is currently estimated to be between 115,000 and 130,000, with declines due to poaching, lack of access to fresh water, mechanized farming, and urbanization.
- Weighing up to 2,000 kilograms, hippos are semi-aquatic mammals, native to sub-Saharan Africa.
- The hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal, after elephants and rhinos.
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