The hippos and rhinos at Werribee Open Range Zoo are looking fresh and fabulous after enjoying pampering routines last week.
Zookeepers gave six Southern white rhinoceros and five hippopotamuses hydrating skincare treatments, as the state prepares for a warm and windy spring.
The rhinos underwent full body mud-masks, while the hippos were misted with bath oil and treated with manuka honey ointment to prevent dry, chapped skin.
Werribee Open Range Zoo savannah keeper, Laura Harbridge, said both the rhinos and hippos – who are native to subtropical Africa where summer seasons are typically wet and humid – required skincare treatment.
“Hippos produce an oily secretion that absorbs some UV light, acting a little like sunscreen, and helps them split their time in water and on land,” Ms Harbridge said.
“We give this natural process a helping hand with the oil spray and ointment to keep their skin healthy and hydrated.
“The oil we use is perfume and preservative free, so it’s healthy for the hippos’ skin and the organisms that live in their three bathing pools.”
Both the Southern white rhino and Common hippo are under serious threat in the wild in Africa, from illegal poaching and habitat loss.
The rhinos and hippos at Werribee Open Range Zoo are part of a regional breeding program which aims to maintain an “insurance population” in the fight against extinction.
