Artwork © Frontier Developments
Common Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius · Africa
Requirements at a glance
- Scientific name
- Hippopotamus amphibius
- Status
- Vulnerable
- Biomes
- Lakes and Rivers, Wetlands, Grassland
- Temperature
- 14–36 °C
- Land area
- 502 m²
- Shelter
- 35 m²
- Aquatic area
- 502 m²
- Barrier
- Grade 4 · 2 m
- Group size
- 3–30 (3♂ / 30♀)
- Temperament
- Confident
- Food / period
- $728
Building the habitat
The land area is a hard floor: 502 m² for the enclosure itself, plus 35 m² of shelter on top. Barrier grade 4 at 2 m contains the animal without overspending on fencing you do not need.
Keep the habitat inside 14–36 °C. Temperature is one of the most common reasons a habitat quietly loses welfare, because it never triggers the alarm that hunger does.
Group limits matter more than most players expect: mixed groups run 3–30, capped at 3 male and 30 female. Exceeding the male cap is what causes fights — not total headcount.
Habitat temperature
Terrain mix
Land area vs. the roster
Compatible species
None listed — keep this species on its own or in a single-species group.
Budgeting this habitat
Food runs about $728 per period. See how that compares across the roster in our food cost ranking, or start from the best starter animals if this is a first zoo.
Similar species
HabitatAfrican Savannah Elephant
HabitatCape Buffalo
HabitatAsian Elephant
HabitatWild Boar
Biome: Lakes and RiversWetlandsGrassland
Figures from the official Planet Zoo 2 Zoopedia, checked 2026-10-21; patches can change them — trust your in-game build menu if they differ. Official entry. Artwork © Frontier Developments; used here for identification.