Hippopotamus range

(And their history of introduction into the Americas)

The Latin word hippopotamus is derived from the ancient Greek ἱπποπόταμος, hippopótamos, from ἵππος, híppos, "horse", and ποταμός, potamós, "river", meaning "horse of the river".

In the U.S., Representative Robert F. Broussard of Louisiana introduced the "American Hippo bill" in 1910 to authorise the importation and release of hippopotamus into the bayous of Louisiana.

Broussard argued that the hippos would eat the invasive water hyacinth.

In the late 1980s, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar kept 4 hippos in a private menagerie at his residence in Medellín, Colombia. They were deemed too difficult to seize and move after Escobar's death, and hence left on the untended estate, they have moved to the Magdalena river.

In December 2020, the estimated population of hippos in Colombia was around 90-120, with their range covering around 2,250 km2 (870 sq mi).

As of 2020, there were no plans by the gov on managing the population, but further studies on their effect on the habitat have started.

The ancient Egyptians recognised the hippo as a ferocious denizen of the Nile and representations on the tombs of nobles show that the animals were hunted.

The hippo was also known to the Greeks/Romans. The Greek historian Herodotus described the hippo in The Histories (440 BC).

Zulu warriors preferred to be as brave as a hippo, since even lions were not considered to match its courage.

The Ijaw people of the Niger Delta wore masks of aquatic animals like the hippo when practicing their water spirit festivals.

Ever since Obaysch (the first hippopotamus seen in Great Britain since prehistoric times, and the first in Europe since Ancient Rome), inspired the "Hippopotamus Polka", hippos have been popular animals in Western culture for their rotund appearance that many consider comical.