HONOLULU — A hippopotamus named Mara arrived at Honolulu Zoo on Wednesday after a lengthy trip from the Los Angeles Zoo.

Pacific Air Cargo assisted with Mara’s flying itinerary, while the Honolulu Police Department and State Department of Transportation helped coordinate her ground transit. 

Mara traveled in a giant crate that was moved with a forklift.

“When they opened the gate, she’s just investigating the new home — the new sleeping quarters,” said Honolulu Zoo Director Linda Santos, narrating the moment when Mara arrived at the zoo. “[She] got two front feet on the ground first, smelling the floor, looking all around, and then decided it was safe, so [she] just walked out and started exploring.”

The young female hippo is 18 years old. Hippos are the third-largest living land mammal, and even though most people don’t like to talk about their weight, Mara is proud to weigh 3,610 pounds. 

“She’s such a champ,” said Santos, when describing Mara. “She’s got such a great disposition and is just a very calm hippo.”

Mara will live at the Honolulu Zoo’s African Savanna exhibit, where she can swim in a pool, as hippos are semi-aquatic and like to spend most of their days staying cool in the water. At night, they leave the water and graze for about five hours.

Mara joins Louise, a hippopotamus who already lives at the Honolulu Zoo. Louise is 30 years old and was born at the Denver Zoo. Hippos can live to be 50 years old. 

Hippos are considered a “vulnerable” species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They are threatened by hunting, habitat loss and deforestation.