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Celebrating the hippo at Terra Natura Murcia
World Hippopotamus Day shines a spotlight on one of nature’s most fascinating giants
World Hippopotamus Day, marked every year on Saturday February 15, is a chance to celebrate one of Africa’s most iconic animals and at Terra Natura Murcia, the hippopotamus takes centre stage. Known for its size, strength and close bond with water, the hippo is also a powerful symbol of why animal care, education and conservation matter.At Terra Natura Murcia, a wildlife and nature park dedicated to animal welfare, conservation and family education, days like this are an opportunity to help visitors better understand the animals they see and the role they play in the natural world. The park has recently highlighted how education and animal wellbeing go hand in hand through enrichment and quality programmes.
A giant built for life in water
The hippopotamus, or Hippopotamus amphibius, is one of the largest land mammals on Earth, weighing more than 1,500 kilograms. Despite this impressive size, hippos are perfectly adapted to life in rivers and lakes across sub-Saharan Africa.
Although they live on land, hippos spend most of the day in water. This helps them regulate body temperature and protect their very sensitive skin from the sun. Their eyes, ears and nostrils sit high on their heads, allowing them to stay almost fully submerged while still watching what is going on around them.
At night, they leave the water to graze, often travelling long distances in search of grass. As one explanation puts it, “They may look calm and relaxed, but hippos are constantly aware of their surroundings.”
One of the most striking features of a hippopotamus is its jaw. Hippos have some of the largest and strongest jaws in the animal kingdom, with tusks that can grow longer than 50 centimetres. These tusks are not used for eating, but for defence and marking territory, especially in the water where hippos can be very protective.
Their skin is just as remarkable. Hippos produce a natural reddish secretion often called “blood sweat”. This substance acts as both a sunscreen and an antibacterial layer, helping to prevent infections and sun damage.
Hippos are more than just impressive animals. They play a key role in river ecosystems, helping fertilise soil and support aquatic life. Because of this, they are considered a keystone species, vital to the health of their environment.World Hippopotamus Day exists to raise awareness of these roles and of the threats hippos face, including habitat loss and poaching.
Terra Natura Murcia and conservation
By focusing on education and animal welfare, Terra Natura Murcia aims to help visitors appreciate not just what animals are, but why they matter. The park’s continued commitment to quality and care has also been recognised at a national level.
For visitors, World Hippopotamus Day is a reminder that learning about animals can be inspiring, enjoyable and important all at once, especially when it brings us closer to understanding and protecting species like the hippopotamus.
Tickets can be purchased online in advance on the Terra Natura website, or at the ticket office on the day of your visit.
Click here for more information about Terra Natura Murcia
Image: Terra Natura and wikicommons
Address
C/Regidor Cayetano Gago S/N 30100 Espinardo Murcia ESPANA Tel: (+34)968 368 200
Terra Natura Murcia, wildlife and adventure water park in the outskirts of the city of Murcia
Terra Natura Murcia is one of the most important and spectacular animal and nature parks in western Spain, and is one of a new generation of wildlife parks in which visitors can discover the concept of what's called "Zooinmersión."
The aim of this is recreate a habitat which gives an experience of being at one with the wildlife viewed in the park, so to this end more than 500 examples of 50 species of vegetation have been interplanted among the animal habitats, spread across an area occupying more than 165,000 square metres.
The planting has matured to create a comfortable and interesting environment which enhances the interaction between visitors and animals.
The planting not only softens the landscape, but also enables visitors to be closer to the animals and have direct human contact rather than the traditional forms of wildlife park where the animals are at a distance behind physical barriers.
The park contains over 500 animals belonging to 50 different species (some of which are in grave danger of extinction), alongside giraffes, lions, hippopotamus, lemurs, brown bears, Iberian lynx, Oryx, Iberian wolves and a White African Rhinoceros.
Throughout the year, Terra Natura Murcia offers different educational talks during visits to their facilities: giraffes, brown bears and otters.
One of the most popular areas is the falconry zone, where the displays enable visitors to discover the beauty of a great variety of birds such as the majestic flight of the peregrine falcon, which reaches diving speeds of over 300 km an hour, the eagle owl, various types of hawk, the griffon vulture and the buzzard eagle. One of the main aims of the park is to encourage contact and engage in interaction between animals and humans, and the falconry is a popular means of achieving this goal.
Among the mammals are Iberian and European Lynx, Mouflon and Coatis.
Aqua Natura Water park
During the summer Terra Natura opens Aqua Natura, the only water park in the Region of Murcia.
This is a refreshing and enjoyable way to cool down in the heat of summer, with swimming pools for adults and children, slides and shoots, kamikazes, lazy river, entertainment and games for youngsters, all within just a short distance of the centre of the city of Murcia.
Opening hours 2024
Terra Natura Murcia is open every day of the year except 1st January and 25th December.
The wildlife park opens at 10.00 in the morning, and during the summer (June 23rd to September 8th) it opens at 11.00.
The water park opens from May 25th to September 8th, at 11.00
Closing times are as follows:
January 2nd – March 15th: 17.00, except weekends in February and March (18.00).
March 16th – May 24th: 18.00, except weekends in April and May (19.00).
May 25th – June 16th: 19.00.
June 17th – September 8th: 20.00.
NB: During the summer special nocturnal tours and meals are available. See what's on section for latest promotions.
September 9th – September 15th: 19.00.
September 16th – October 25th: 18.00, except weekends in September and October (19.00).
October 28th – December 31st: 17.00, except weekends in November (18.00).
Details of daily activities can be found here: extra activities and special offers are regularly updated on Murcia Today.
Click here for online bookings
How to get there
Terra Natura is located in the northern outskirts of the city of Murcia in Espinardo, accessed via the A-7 motorway.
Address: Calle Regidor Cayetano Gago, 30100, Espinardo, Murcia
From the A-7 Murcia to Alicante, exit 136, Universidad de Murcia
From the Autovia A-7 Alicante to Murcia, exit 762b, Murcia centro
By Bus
From central Murcia. Bus line number 31 leaves from Plaza Cruz Roja via Gran Via and passes by the park, from Monday to Saturday every half hour and on Sunday every hour.
Line 39A, leaves from the railway station from Monday to Friday every 15 minutes
Line 39C leaves from Infante Juan Manuel (Pio Baroja) from Monday to Friday every 30 minutes.
