Surprising incident in Japan: Hippo thought to be male for seven years turns out to be female
A DNA test was performed on a hippopotamus named Gen-chan in Japan, which had been identified as male seven years ago. The test results revealed that the hippo is female.
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Gen-chan, a hippopotamus brought to Japan in 2017 with the identification as a male, underwent a DNA test after it "did not behave like a male" and its "reproductive organs could not be visually identified."
The test results confirmed that Gen-chan is female.
The following statement was made by the Osaka Tennoji Zoo:
"Gen-chan arrived from Africam Safari in Mexico in 2017 as a male and has been raised as a male until now, but as it aged, it did not exhibit male-specific behaviors and its reproductive organs could not be visually confirmed.
There were some doubts about whether it was truly male. As a result, a DNA test was conducted by an external organization, and it was determined that the animal is female."
Officials, noting that Gen-chan was 5 years old when it arrived in Japan and that its entry documents listed it as male, emphasized that the hippo's name will not be changed.