The Incredible Journey of a Hippo with Wanderlust

Huberta had a nose for adventure. For some reason, she grew bored of her tropical paradise home in South Africa’s St. Lucia Estuary. She figured there must be more to life than bobbing in water by day and grazing by night. In November 1928, Huberta left her pod behind and hit the road — headed south.

It was to be an epic journey lasting more than two years and traversing 1,000 miles (1,600 km). Nothing quite like it had ever been recorded before — or has been since.

Just why Huberta left her stomping ground had everyone baffled. Some thought she was in search of a mate, others speculated she was fleeing the area where her mother was killed, and still others suggested she wanted to visit the lands of her ancestors. Regardless, Huberta was fearless and on a mission.

An attempt was made to capture her when she settled for a while at the Mhlanga River, just north of Durban. But she had no desire to live in the Johannesburg Zoo, so she soldiered on. After being spotted visiting a Durban beach for a dip in the ocean, Huberta sauntering down the main street of the city and arriving uninvited at the Durban Country Club while a function was in full swing.

Huberta garnered a following and minor celebrity status — both locally and abroad. Read about the rest of her epic journey here.