Guest Posted May 25, 2002 FOX News Article </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">ESCONDIDO, Calif. — A rare 500-pound pygmy hippopotamus that has been living in a suburb for more than a decade has been seized by state officials incredulous they haven't known about the creature. "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it," state Fish and Game warden Zeke Awbrey said Friday. "No one expects to find a giant hippo living in someone's back yard." Paul Garcia, a spokesman for the San Diego Zoo, said there are 2,000 to 4,000 pygmy hippos remaining in the wild. The zoo has one in captivity. Dr. Arthur Stehly, who owned the female pygmy hippo, declined comment. Fish and Game officials could not give details because an investigation continues on why Stehly did not have a permit for the animal. "He loves animals and just likes collecting them," Awbrey said. "He just made a bad error this time." The hippo, believed to be 12- to 15-years-old, was taken to the Fund for Animals Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Ramona. On June 1, it is scheduled to be taken by truck to the Peace River Wildlife Refuge in Arcadia, Fla., which has other pygmy hippos, said Chuck Traisi, the Ramona center's director. Stehly's neighbors have known about the hippo, but had never seen it. "I know he used the hippo manure on his garden," said Bill Ritcher. "It can smell pretty dang bad." State officials were tipped in January by a real estate agent who was showing a home for sale near Stehly's fenced 5-acre home on Park Hill Lane. "Apparently a boy was with his father while he dealt with the agent, and the kid said, "Hey, that looks like a hippo,"' game warden Awbrey said. "And the dad and agent said, 'That is a hippo!' The kid asked if they bought the property, if the hippo was included." Wardens said the hippo had skin discoloration. "Her skin was extremely dry, and portions had serious deep cracks," said wildlife rehabilitation center director Traisi. "There were open, bloody wounds because it didn't have enough water to care for the skin." The hippo was seized Jan. 28 and taken to Traisi's 13-acre center. Traisi said the hippo was properly fed and had fresh drinking water. But he described the living conditions as inadequate because there was no natural shade and no body of water large enough for the hippo to immerse itself. For a week, several times a day, Traisi said, he and his staff applied moisturizing cream to the hippo belonging to Stehly. The pygmy hippo are found along streams and in wet forests and swamps in West Africa from Sierra Leone to Nigeria. Stehly has more than 100 animals living on his Escondido property, including emus, peacocks, geese, goats and ducks, neighbors said. Members of his family are known for their dealings in rare and unusual animals. Chris Banner, his son-in-law, runs Wholesome Heritage Farms at state Route 78 and San Pasqual Road east of Escondido. It has African Watusi cattle, dromedary and Bactrian camels, emus, ostriches and other animals. In the mid-1990s, Stehly's brother, Nick, of Valley Center, was a well-known ostrich breeder. He also raised emus and other flightless birds, as well as peacocks, llamas, camels and water buffalo. <span id='postcolor'> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Warin 0 Posted May 25, 2002 Where do you find this stuff Denoir? I can understand why this guy didnt build a big pond for the hippo. I saw a National Geographic special once and they described a submerged hippo as one of the more dangerous animals you could meet. I can just imagine the entry in the Darwin Awards: Man killed by hippo in back yard. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nordin dk 0 Posted May 25, 2002 Imagine deep cracks in the skind of a hippo...that's a pretty yucky image. To the guy who did it...excellent thinking moron. That's another sign we're f*cked. People have a sick mentality towards animals. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Warin 0 Posted May 25, 2002 </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Imagine deep cracks in the skind of a hippo...that's a pretty yucky image. To the guy who did it...excellent thinking moron. That's another sign we're f*cked. People have a sick mentality towards animals.<span id='postcolor'> I dont know about that. He had the hippo for more than 10 years. If it was treated that badly, I am sure that it owuldnt have survuved long. The guy also has more animals. It sounds more like he just didnt have the facilities, less that he didnt care for it. And if he was mistreating animals, I am sure they would have taken all of hs animals away, no? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nordin dk 0 Posted May 26, 2002 Uhm, are you saying it's a really smart thing to keep a hippo in your backyard? "But officer...I treated him right and fed him hay and stuff...duh...what? He belongs in the wild? Who cares? Here King! Good hippo..." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 26, 2002 Yeah, yeah... but imagine how cool it would be to have a guard hippo of your own. Or a guard moose Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nordin dk 0 Posted May 26, 2002 I have guard moss actually. It's kinda slow, but real scary once it gets going... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WKK Gimbal 0 Posted May 26, 2002 </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (denoir @ May 26 2002,02:34)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Yeah, yeah... but imagine how cool it would be to have a guard hippo of your own. Or a guard moose <span id='postcolor'> that's what's wrong ... people feel they have to _own_ nature, they can't just look at it and enjoy it in it's proper context. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Frag 0 Posted May 26, 2002 </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Warin @ May 25 2002,16:28)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I can understand why this guy didnt build a big pond for the hippo. Â I saw a National Geographic special once and they described a submerged hippo as one of the more dangerous animals you could meet.<span id='postcolor'> More people get killed by hippos every year than by alligators... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 26, 2002 </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (WKK Gimbal @ May 26 2002,03:28)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (denoir @ May 26 2002,02:34)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Yeah, yeah... but imagine how cool it would be to have a guard hippo of your own. Or a guard moose <span id='postcolor'> that's what's wrong ... people feel they have to _own_ nature, they can't just look at it and enjoy it in it's proper context.<span id='postcolor'> Proper context: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
