Meet the Largest Hippopotamus on Record: MurBarak

BY LINNEA 4 MAY 2023

One of the most fascinating animals I have encountered in my studies is the Hippopotamus.

Let's explore the largest Hippo ever recorded , MurBarak, and ancient legends of the  “Gorgon-faced hippo.”

Mubarak was a male hippopotamus famous in Egypt for his “friendly” behaviour towards humans.

He lived in the Aswan Botanical Garden, located on an island in the Nile River in southern Egypt

MurBarak weighed around 4,500 kilograms (9,920 pounds).

In 2014, a group of activists launched a campaign to free Mubarak from captivity and move him to a wildlife sanctuary, arguing that keeping him in a small enclosure in the botanical garden was inhumane.

However, officials at the park refused to release Mubarak, citing concerns about his age and ability to adapt to a new environment.

The Hippopotamus Gorgops

also known as the “Gorgon-faced hippo,” is an extinct species of Hippopotamus that lived in Africa during the Pleistocene epoch, between 1.8 million and 11,000 years ago.

It is estimated that this species could grow up to 4.5 meters

Making it one of the largest hippopotamus species ever known.

The Hippopotamus Gorgops is now extinct, likely due to a combination of climate change and hunting by early humans.

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