Springfield’s Henry the hippo finds true love

With less than a month in his new digs, Henry the hippo already has found true love.

Henry left the Dickerson Park Zoo last month for the new Hippo Cove exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo. Upon arrival, he met Bibi, a female hippo from the St. Louis Zoo, according to a KSMU report.

Zoo keepers say the connection was instant.

"Not to anthropomorphize it too much, we feel like it was love at first sight with him and Bibi. The moment he could see her he really could not take his eyes off of her," said Christina Gorsuch, the zoo’s curator of mammals.

KSMU reports the two often can be found sleeping together with Henry’s head resting on Bibi’s backside and a “blissful hippo smile.” Zookeepers are optimistic baby hippos could be in the future.

The new Cincinnati Zoo exhibit will open on July 21.

Read more from KSMU.