The Common Hippopotamus 



The Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) 



Zee-koe (Sea-cow) of Cape Dutch ; Imvubu of Zulus, Swazis, and 

 Matabele ; Kubu of Bechuanas ; Kiboko of Swahilis ; Robi of 

 Gallas ; Gumare of Abyssinians. 



At a very distant period of the world's history, when Great Britain 

 formed part of the mainland of Europe, and that continent had not yet 

 become separated from Africa by the Mediterranean Sea, the hippopotamus 

 was an inhabitant of Southern and Western Europe, and must have been a 

 familiar object to the primeval savages who then co-existed with it in the 

 valleys of the Thames and the Seine. 



Ages ago, however, the hippopotamus became extinct in Europe, but 

 having extended its range over the whole of the African continent, found a 

 congenial home in the lakes and rivers of that vast territory, in many parts 

 of which it is abundant even to the present day. 



In Southern Africa its range has been very much curtailed during the 

 present century, not only by the encroachments of man, but also by the 

 gradual desiccation of the western portion of the country. 



Natives now living remember the time when hippopotami were 

 plentiful in the Molopo River, where these animals could not exist at the 

 present day ; and Dr. Livingstone mentions that, according to native report, 

 hippopotami used to live in the river flowing from the spring of Kuruman, 

 which even in his time (1840 to 1850) had become quite a small stream. 

 In the Cape Colony and Natal the hippopotamus has now become quite 

 extinct. An old bull was long allowed to live in the Berg River at no 

 great distance from Cape Town ; but he became vicious and killed a boy, 

 and so had to be destroyed. 



This, I think, was between i860 and 1870, and only last year the fiat 

 went forth for the extermination of the hippopotami that had been long 



