Speaker

Madison Culbertson 
River’s Edge Keeper 
Saint Louis Zoo 

Hi, I’m Madi Culbertson, and I care for hippos at the Saint Louis Zoo.

The beautiful blue-green coloration of this sculpture reminds me of water, where hippos spend up to 16 hours daily. Their eyes, ears, and nostrils all sit on top of their heads, allowing them to completely submerge underwater to stay cool. When they do dive under the water, where they can stay for up to five minutes at a time, their nostrils and ears automatically close to keep water out.

Hippos are very large animals. Adults can weigh between 3,000 and 6,000 pounds. They maintain this size through grazing sessions, consuming up to 80 pounds of vegetation nightly.

Also notice the hippo’s short, powerful legs. A common misconception is that hippos swim. They actually propel off of river bottoms with their stocky legs. This unique movement is where the name hippopotamus originates. It translates to “river horse” in Greek. On land, they can reach bursts of speed up to 30 miles per hour.

You can also see the unique curvature of the hippopotamus skull. Their jaws feature massive canine teeth and can open almost 180 degrees, closing with one of the strongest bite forces in the animal kingdom. Their lower jawbone also conducts sound waves, allowing them to hear when fully submerged underwater. To communicate with other hippos, they have a “wheeze-honk” vocalization, which sounds like this: [hippo noise].

The lily pad indentations on the sides of the sculpture look like the markings hippos incur while sparring during territorial disputes. Hippo groups, called bloats, are led by individual male hippos, who protect the group and maintain territory. Although their wild counterparts can have a dangerous reputation, the hippos I work with are easygoing. They love a lazy day in the pool and enjoy interacting with their keepers.

This sculpture is a beautiful representation of the intelligent, social, dynamic animal that I have the pleasure to work with every day.