The Babyhood of Wild Beasts/Chapter 3
CHAPTER III
a baby hippopotamus
CALIPH was a baby hippo who was caught in the Nile River after his mother, the crankiest old lady and the worst fighter in the herd, had been shot. Little Caliph was a cunning fat baby but a few days old. In spite of his seventy-five pounds of solid flesh and bone, he was nimble on his legs and a good swimmer as well. He was seized while swimming under water with just his nostrils visible.
The little Hippo had a red skin like a young baby. He was fat as a butter ball and somewhat resembled a pig. His master took him home, fed him on a diet of bread and milk, and made him a little pen with a pool of water in it.
Caliph became very much attached to his master. He soon learned to follow him about like a dog. Sometimes the little fellow would grieve for his mother and wistfully think of the rides he took on her broad, safe back, because he was too small to keep up with her when he swam beside her. He mourned for her loving protection and caresses, for the mother hippopotamus is among the gentlest and most lovable of mothers.
The little Hippo waxed fat and strong. In a short time the bread and milk dinners were replaced by warm bran mash and sweet, delicious hay, with a dessert of carrots or juicy apples.
When he was six months old he was transferred from his little yard to a great boat and brought to America. The trip was attended by seasickness and many other unpleasantries; but his beloved master spoke soft and kind words of encouragement to him and helped him forget his troubles and fears. The rocking of the boat made his head throb, and the strange noises frightened him. Then they landed and were taken to one of the great parks and Caliph became the chief attraction of the menagerie.
The other great beasts were curious and un-friendly, so little Caliph stayed in the swimming
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Photo by A. W. Schaad Baby "Caliph" at birth weighed seventy-five pounds, and was as full of fun as a barrel of monkeys. His mother’s weight was four tons. Her huge head alone tipping the scales at one thousand pounds.
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| "Jim" says it feels like going down cellar when he puts his head in "Caliph’s" huge, cavernous mouth. |
Photos by A. W. Schaad "Caliph loves to hold "Keeper Jim" in his great, gigantic jaws and swing him back and forth to the tune of "Rock-a-bye, Baby."
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One day when he was eating his hay a dear little kitten walked into his cage and sniffed his nose. He sniffed back and found her most friendly. They became great chums and every day at dinnertime she called on him and they had a little visit together. She would curl up on his hay and doze, moving back a few inches at a time as he ate in close proximity to her little furry body. When she grew up and had little kittens of her own she took them to visit her hippo friend, who loved them as dearly as he loved their little mother.
When Caliph was eight years old he weighed eight thousand pounds and was a gigantic animal of terrific strength and power; but he never took advantage of these assets. His master had taught him some very interesting tricks and Caliph delighted in exhibiting his talents. He would open his great mouth to its widest capacity and let Master sit inside, never offering to close it until he was safely out of the huge fleshy cavern. Then he would permit him to put his head in his mouth, to ride on his back, and to brush his huge teeth with a stiff broom.
Caliph’s great delight was to take his master on his broad back and plunge into the swimming pool.
Our critical friends say that a Hippopotamus is not intelligent enough to be trained; that they are vicious, are not to be trusted, and have no memory. I give you these facts to disprove their theory and to give the Hippo a square deal. I feel that he is a much maligned beast. Many of them are loving, gentle and faithful, if handled by those who love and want to understand them.
The Hippopotamus is found in the rivers and lakes of Africa. He and the Rhino are beasts of another era and do not belong to this age. But they are so very interesting we would be sorry to see them go.
The Hippo is certainly not handsome. He has a huge barrel body submerged in fat mounted on short stumpy legs and a gigantic head with a mouth of such enormous size and capacity as to be positively terrifying. The huge, horse-like nose is covered with stiff bristles, the nostrils flare like fans, the eyes bulge, and the forehead is low and flat, with two foolish looking ears sticking up on either side of it.
The weight of this great beast averages from four thousand to eight thousand pounds.
His voice is not true to his character. It consists of a deep, hog-like grunt, followed by four sharp, high pitched, shrill squeals. One would expect a deep, resonant bass from such a sober, phlegmatic beast and is shockingly surprised by his ear-splitting tenor.
The Hippopotamus is herbivorous. He lives a great part of the time in water but is an air breathing mammal. The mothers have but one baby at a time and suckle it as a cow does her calf.
Whips and other articles of commerce are manufactured from their thick, tough hide and the flesh is eaten by the natives.
So the poor Hippo has many enemies. We hope the game laws will protect him, as we couldn't possibly spare him, he is so intensely interesting.