Hippo Gets Help From NJ Aquarium Celebrating Her 22nd Birthday

CAMDEN, NJ — Genny, a hippo at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, celebrated her 22nd birthday on Sunday with the usual birthday cake, cards and well wishes from aquarium patrons.

She also was visited by 2022's National Watermelon Queen and given a watermelon-themed sculpture crafted a watermelon artist.

Genny's well-wishers were treated with — as you might have guessed — watermelon-themed cupcakes and watermelon-themed drinks.

Why all the watermelon?

The aquarium's staff tells us when Genny was asked what she wanted for her birthday, she replied "the answer is simple …wa-ter-mel-on … please and thank you!"

That said, hippos tend to eat plants, animals and carrion, according to brittanica.com. However, we'll give Genny a pass on sticking to a normal diet. It was her birthday, after all.

Some hippos, especially those who live in aquariums like Genny, live until they are about 60 years, brittanica.com also says. So there are plenty of years left for her to resume the normal hippo diet.

By the way, birthday girl Genny is one of only two hippos in the world to be exhibited at an aquarium, the staff at Adventure Aquarium tells us.

The other hippo with that distinction is Button, who turned 25 earlier this year and lives with Genny, the Adventure Aquarium's staff added.

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