SAN ANTONIO — The Alamo City's famous hippo, Timothy, has big party plans to ring in his 7th birthday. San Antonio Zoo staff served up some watermelons to the hippos on Thursday morning.
In a post that was shared more than 100 times on Facebook within two hours, Timothy and his friends can be seen devouring watermelons. Zoo employees tossed the personal-sized melons right into their mouths like they were shooting basketballs into a hoop.
"Hippos destroying watermelon! As a special birthday treat, the hippos got one of their favorite snacks!" the zoo's post said.
The hippopotamus' strong jaws can crush a watermelon in just one bite.
As part of the celebration, San Antonio residents can also benefit from the celebration by saving on zoo admission. For Thursday, locals can get into the zoo for just $8 admission since it's PNC Bank Locals Day at San Antonio Zoo.
The zoo has a schedule of things people can look forward to, including food, music, photo ops, giveaways, animal interactions, and more.
"We will have activations in Africa Live from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. with a very special enrichment for the birthday boy at 1:15 p.m. to finish his party, so don’t miss out!" the zoo said.
Also, check out this list of events:
- 11:00 a.m. - Watermelon on a stick giveaway while supplies last
- 12:30 p.m. - Appearance by Cowboy and Hype Squad
- 1:00 p.m. - Visit from Animal Ambassador Team
- 1:30 p.m. - Drop feed for the hippos with a chat from the team that cares for him every day
