Obaysch the Hippopotamus

Obaysch was harpooned (bearing the scar all his life) when only a few days old, near an island in the Nile, from which he took his name. He arrived in London on 25th May 1850 and became the first hippo to reach Europe since the days of the Roman Empire. Despite lacking the engaging appearance and nature normally associated with Zoo stars, he quickly became the rage in London. Queen Victoria inspected him shortly after his arrival. In 1854 a female, Adhela, joined him. In 1871 Obaysch fathered London Zoo's first baby hippo. Sadly it did not survive. In 1872 two more were born, and the second of these, named Guy Fawkes because of its birthday (although subsequently discovered to be female), became the first captive-bred hippo to be reared by its mother. Obaysch died in 1878, while his hardly less popular daughter survived until 1908