On the morning of August 5, 2007, the armed police of the Wenling fire brigade in Zhejiang Province received a call from the zoo for help. Upon being told a 5.6-ton hippo was in urgent need of water, the fire brigade immediately sent two trucks rushing to the zoo to provide 24 tons of water.

Due to the heat and little rainfall, the zoo is facing a serious water shortage. Some trees in the zoo have withered, and the big pond where the hippos live is nearly dry. The hippos will face a crisis if considerable water is not supplied promptly.

(China.org.cn by Fan Cong, August 6, 2007)