Sure, 10-year-old Bud Stats felt buffaloed. Wilson, the lone hippopotamus at the San Francisco Zoo, has been the benefactor of Bud’s annual birthday fundraiser.

Every year, young Bud would host everything from concerts to garage sales in raising money to support his favorite four-legged friend.

It looked as if — other than COVID-19 —  it would be another usual fund-raising effort this time around when Bud hit the big double-figures Aug. 12.

Then the call came in to Bud’s mom, Maria Stats, founder of Beyond the Fringe community theater. The treasured hippo got a new gig. He would be transferred at a publicly undisclosed location because a suitable mate has presumably been found.

“The zoo keeper mentioned it to some people and it got back to Bud,” said Stats, mum on the relocation program, but saying “he’s going to be a big star where he’s going. He’ll be the most famous male hippo in the United States.”

That’s well and good for the 3,500-pound hippo. Not so much for one 90-pound human.

“Bud was depressed,” his mom said, grateful the zoo arranged the recent visit. “It’s a bittersweet time.”

The Stats family made its final San Francisco visit from its Suisun City home to Wilson last week, bidding farewell behind the virus protocol of social distancing and face masks.

The zoo figured out that Bud alone raised $5,000 since he was about 3 for Wilson — “solely through bothering our friends, having yard sales and everything else,” Stats said.

As a going away gift, Bud launched one last hurrah for Wilson — “I want to raise more money as a good-bye present from me to my hippo” — with a Facebook fundraiser. So impressed was the zoo, it offered to double whatever is raised up to $5,000 by Aug. 31.

The San Francisco Giants had just one their first of three world championships in 2010 when the Stats first eyed the hippo enclosure at the zoo. Bud wasn’t quite 2 1/2. And yes, “Wilson” was named after the Giants’ former star relief pitcher, Brian Wilson.

Though Bud was initially startled when the hippo lunged out of the water, it became a quick friendship.

“Anything that had to do with the zoo, Bud wouldn’t shut up,” his mom said. “He became obsessed.”

Fiona, the first Nile hippo born at the Cincinnati Zoo in 75 years, may be the nation’s most notable hippopotamus, but Wilson will always be Bud’s favorite.

It didn’t go unnoticed by the zoo, which included Bud’s fascination with hippo in the zoo newsletter.

“They thought it was adorable,” Maria said.

The Stats family — poppa Ken and Bud’s sister, Coco joined in — checked out Wilson and the rest of the animals for four hours last Wednesday.

With limited attendance capacity allowed — COVID-19 and all — the Stats had Wilson to themselves for much of the last visit.

“Oh my gosh, it was really rough,” Maria said. “When we first got there, they did their whole publicity thing taking pictures, smiling for the camera.”

When zoo officials explained how Wilson would be transported to his new home via crate, Bud became seriously considered about noise and the confinement, his mom said.

“For a kid with sensory processing disorder, sitting in a crate is probably his version of hell,” she said. “I didn’t think about it but it hit him hard. He asked if somebody’s riding with him and when they said ‘No,’ he said, ‘Then how do you know he’s OK.’ It was difficult.”

Nearing the end of the visit at about 3:30 p.m., Bud had some alone time with the hippo.

“Bud says, ‘He just knows it’s good-bye.’ It was really sad,” Maria said.

It was tough on the whole family, she noted.

“I’m crying over a hippo,” Maria said.

Even with Wilson gone, Bud continues his quest to help the San Francisco Zoo.

“I want the zoo to be able to take care of the other animals better,” Bud told his mom.

There is, apparently, an open invitation for Bud to visit Wilson in the hippo’s new pad. Since Bud’s a mere 10 and Wilson is 17 — not even close to the 40-year average lifespan for a hippo in captivity — “we look forward to Wilson in our life for a very long time,” Maria said.

It will be an emotional test for her son, Stats said.

“Wilson has been a huge part of his life,” she said. “I will be sad if he decides not to champion another cause. He was trying to figure out what his next adopted ‘child’ will be. When we were at the zoo, we looked at other animals.”

“To my knowledge, there’s no talk of a new hippo,” Maria said. “They have been successful in breeding snow leopards that are endangered and that enclosure is expanding.”

Still, not likely the twinkle in Bud’s eye post-hippo.

“My money’s on the Mexican Gray Wolf,” said Maria, wishing Wilson the best when he finally meets his mate.

“I hope they learn to love each other,” she said.

Even with the sadness of her son’s almost life-time buddy moving, Maria Stats said it’s a warm-hearted story of a boy and his hippo.

“It’s a good, feel-good thing,” Maria said. “And don’t we need some of that right now?”

To donate to the San Francisco Zoo in honor of Wilson the hippo: www.facebook.com/donate/471099450354918/