Before he leaves for his new home, a celebration for Springfield's favorite hippo

Come July, Henry the Hippo — a centerpiece of Dickerson Park Zoo for 34 years — will likely be living it up in his new Cincinnati home, an $8 million exhibit that's currently being constructed to welcome him.

At his going-away celebration Saturday afternoon, Erin Hitsman, event coordinator for the zoo, said it was a bittersweet occasion for everyone.

"People saw him as kids, and they're bringing their kids to see him," Hitsman said. Sure enough, children gathered around to watch Henry's feeding time, gasping as he effortlessly crushed a watermelon in his massive jaws.

But she noted that Henry's new home would be a much better habitat for him.

The new exhibit's construction cost is more than twice Dickerson Park Zoo's annual budget, Hitsman said, and Cincinnati has the opportunity to host him in an underwater facility, something that simply isn't an option in Springfield.

The possibility of moving Henry has arisen before, Hitsman said, but zoos often aren't interested in adult male hippos — it can be hard to integrate them into the established social structure of other hippos.

Hitsman said the zoo's director had chosen to keep Henry "until the right time" — and this was it.

In Cincinnati, Henry will have an "extravagant" new home and won't even have to try to brave the dating scene — two female hippos will be in the new exhibit as well.

If you'd like to say goodbye to Henry, the celebration continues Sunday, with feedings at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Henry will also be at the zoo until the move begins, sometime in mid-June.

Until then, Hitsman said, it's all about figuring out how to say goodbye to a central part of Springfield's zoo.

"It's really hard to explain to a 3-year-old."