Famous Hippos

Hippos have captured human imagination for over five thousand years — from the ancient Egyptian goddess Taweret to Fiona at Cincinnati Zoo, from King Hippo in Punch-Out!! to Moo Deng in Thailand. No other large animal has produced such a consistent stream of icons across such a wide range of human culture.

This section covers the most famous hippos in history: real animals whose lives became extraordinary enough to make international headlines, and fictional characters whose portrayals became genuinely iconic across film, television, music, mythology, and games. If you have ever wanted to know the name of the hippo in Madagascar, why Huberta walked 1,600 km across South Africa alone, or what the Hungry Hungry Hippos are actually called — this is where you find out.