In a statement released by Osaka Tennoji Zoo in Japan on April 18, the following statements were made;
"Gen-chan arrived as a male from the African Safari in Mexico in 2017 and has been raised as a male until now, but as he got older, he was not exhibiting male-specific behavior and his reproductive organs could not be visually confirmed. There was some doubt as to whether he was really a male. As a result, DNA testing was carried out by an outside organization and it was determined that the animal was female."
Stating that Gen-chan, who was 5 years old when she arrived in Japan, was listed as a male on her entry documents, officials also emphasized that the hippo's name will not be changed.
