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Pygmy hippo Toni says bonjour to France after Berlin exit

Felix Tamsut with dpa
August 27, 2025

The one-year-old hippo had an easy ride on her way to her new home in eastern France after being moved from the Berlin Zoo. Having been placed with a male partner, the hope is for the two to have children in the future.

Toni, a 1-year-old pygmy hippopotamus, in Mulhouse, eastern France
Toni is enjoying the perks of her new home in FranceImage: Romeo Boetzle/AFP

Mini hippo Toni has arrived in her new home at the French city of Mulhouse after moving from Germany

"The move went without any issues and in a very relaxed manner," the Berlin Zoo, his former home, said in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

The Instagram post also included a goodbye to Toni, which was posted in French: Toni, nous t'aimons, meaning "Toni, we love you!"

In Mulhouse, Toni will live in the newly-built area for pygmy hippos, a Berlin Zoo spokesperson said, with another hippo named Voobadee moving in shortly before Toni's arrival.

The hope is for the two to have offspring in the coming two years.

Pygmy hippos like Toni do not know how to truly swim, but are capable of walking on the bottom of shallow pools of water where they can glide aroundImage: Romeo Boetzle/AFP

Fans said auf Wiedersehen to Toni in Berlin earlier this month

August 24 was the last day on which visitors were able to visit Toni in the German capital, with many appearing to bid their farewell to the beloved hippo.

Toni's popularity comes from a video posted by the Berlin Zoo after Toni's birth, which quickly went viral, with some 20,000 different names being suggested for the little hippo.

Eventually, her name was given to her by her high-profile sponsor, Germany international and Real Madrid star Antonio Rüdiger.

Pygmy hippos, native to West Africa, are on the red list of endangered species with less than 2,500 remaining in the wild, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a Switzerland-based nature conservancy.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery 

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