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Goddard, Kansas - An adorable baby hippo has captured the hearts of viewers online! In several viral clips, the young animal named Mars proved he loved the water so much that he refused to get out of the pool – even at bedtime.

Every day, the zookeeper has to fight with Mars to get him to go into the indoor enclosure. © Collage: Screenshots/TikTok/@tanganyikawildlifepark

On the TikTok pageof the Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas, the cute clips of the little hippopotamus have caused quite a stir.

Several videos showed Mars splashing around happily in the pool of his enclosure.

He and his mother were both supposed to go inside, but the little creature had other plans!

The hippo flatly refused to leave the pool – so much so that the zookeeper had to intervene.

She bravely went into the water and tried to carry Mars out, but the baby kept escaping and jumping back into the water!

After a long struggle, the job was finally done, and the animal was in his indoor enclosure.

Baby hippo Mars refuses to leave the water Mars would rather do anything else than go inside! © Collage: Screenshots/TikTok/@tanganyikawildlifepark

As other clips on the page demonstrated, this wasn't an isolated incident – the zookeeper has to deal with the stubborn hippo every day!

Hippos stay inside at night, as the zoo explained, and the adult animals go in without any problems, as they know they will be fed.

Mars, on the other hand, is still dependent on his mother's milk and, therefore, has little motivation to go inside voluntarily.

Despite the trouble of Mars' stubbornness, the zookeepers can be thankful for the attention his quirky behavior has brought their park!

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