"Highly Mobile" Testicles Frustrate Effort to Calm Hippos in Captivity
 

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Vets for zoos may seek to castrate hippos to tamp down the animals' aggression, but special techniques are needed to locate the organs
By Michael Parker and The Conversation

The hippopotamus is among the world’s largest creatures on land. Only elephants and some species of rhino are larger. Hippos also are very aggressive. Legendarily ill-tempered and entirely unafraid of humans, they are responsible for the majority of wildlife deaths in Africa.

Unlike humans, hippos' testicles are not external, nor are they tucked inside the abdomen. Instead they are located inside the inguinal canal, a space in the lower front part of the body. But their exact location in the canal varies widely, sometimes minute by minute. “Hippo testicles are retractable, and can vary in depth by around 40cm, which makes them quite hard to find,” Walzer said, adding that there had been in the past several documented efforts that tried and failed to locate them, and at least one paper that declared that it was “not known” where they are.


Hippos in the wild rarely fight to the death, with the weaker animal backing off once the stronger hippo has demonstrated his dominance. But in captivity, the restricted space changes their behavior. Walzer said: “It’s important that young bulls are castrated before they become breeding adults, because otherwise two adult males will kill each other.” So in addition to cutting down unwanted hippo calves, castration leaves males much more placid, meaning they can share space with others.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...s-in-captivity


Sorry if repost.

It looks like their testes are located behind their vagina not the "lower front part of their body".

Just cut and pull!!

Not as easy as jerking hogs, I'd bet.

I'm not certain about that claim, but I have a expert I can call to let us know.

if only they could cut off their balls and then have them fight over eating them and make a game out of it.

They'd have to be pretty hungry to do that.

LMAO

Imagine how funny it is for the hippo when he goes to get a physical.

I don't know. I wouldn't want to reach in there. Can't be good for Mr. Hippo either.