Japan zoo discovers male hippo is actually a female

When Japan's Osaka Tennoji Zoo took successful a hippo named Gen-chan 7 years ago, they were told nan young animal was a male. Recently, they took a DNA trial and recovered retired nan mammal is really a female. 

In a post connected their website, nan zoo said that Gen-chan came to nan zoo from Mexico's Africa Safari successful 2017. When they took nan hippo in, Mexico zoo officials and transportation documents each indicated it was a male, nan Tennoji Zoo said.

"The animal was only 5 years aged astatine nan clip and was still a child," a translator of nan Japan zoo's station connected nan find says. "We had nary doubts." 

That was until zookeepers astatine Osaka Tennoji noticed Gen-chan was not displaying behaviors typically associated pinch antheral hippos. One of nan astir emblematic behaviors of antheral hippos, for example, is whipping their tails successful a propeller-like mobility while defecating to people their territory, which Gen-chan did not do, zookeepers told AFP. The hippo besides grounded to make courtship calls to females and caretakers were ne'er capable to place immoderate antheral genitalia. 

That's erstwhile they decided to bid a DNA trial to find retired what was going connected – and discovered that Gen-chan is really a female. And while her activity will beryllium switched connected documents, nan 12-year-old hippo's sanction will not beryllium changing, officials said. 

"We admit nan value of reconfirming nan activity of introduced animals and will return precautions to guarantee that this does not hap again," a translator of nan station says. "We will proceed to strive to supply a comfortable situation for Gen-chan." 

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