A zoo in Abruzzo on Wednesday offered to adopt a hippopotamus calf born in Switzerland's Basel Zoo who grabbed headlines worldwide after reports surfaced that the zoo would euthanise the animal and feed it to the tigers.
After an outcry, Basel backed down but explained that the male baby could not stay at the zoo because the highly territorial nature of hippos means there can only be one male in a herd.
The Swiss have said Farasi, whose name means horse' in Swahili, can remain until a suitable home is found for him.
''We have the space and a pool that we will make available for inspection,'' said Abruzzo Safari Park chief Mario Bellucci, making an offer for Farasi on Wednesday.
Bellucci said the zoo had previously hosted a pygmy hippopotamus from a passing circus for a month.
However, the park's lack of other hippos may mean Basel Zoo will look more favourably on other offers, since it has said Farasi needs to live ''in a social unit''.
In October last year the Abruzzo park's four-year-old Bengal tiger gave birth to three ligre cubs, which are a cross between a lion and a tiger.
