Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's two hippopotomuses, Zambezi and Kasai, will be taking an extended vacation beginning in early October.
Bob Chastain is president of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. He says they figured hippos at zoos were fairly common, and they initially considered replacing the exhibit with another animal.
After some research on American zoos however, they decided not only to keep the hippos, and to make an exhibit where they could be bred.
"We figured with less than 100 hippos in captivity, and less than 40 metropolitan areas where people can see hippos, showing people hippos is really something we should do," Chastain said.
Chastain says he expects the new exhibit to be complete by the spring of 2019.
Zambezi and Kasai are currently being crate-trained for the 12-hour journey to Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield.
