About Huberta

Who was Huberta? She was South Africa's pet Hippo and the world knew about her and her travels. Her adventures travelling in South Africa had been the subject of many articles published in many countries in the world. Huberta was an animal, she was a hippo, she was an animal celebrity. She deserved the publicity, not many hippos can boast of having waddled through the main street of Durban, of biting a press photographer, of bathing in a Monastery Garden pond at midnight, of holding up a train. She really deserved the title of being the world's super tramp. In 1931 she was "Royal Game" therefore a protected animal. Her travels often recorded in publications, even to this day. The story of her life and travels still stirs the hearts of many who have never forgotten her.



Although Huberta's life ended tragically, it was not the end of her story, it set an example to all who care about conservation and the protection of wild life. We who do care. We should be grateful that there are Game Reserves where we can see our precious wild animals, a place where they are protected from poachers and the hunter's gun.



Huberta will never die in the memory and the hearts of so many. Today she is stuffed and standing proudly in the Amathole museum King Williams Town, as a reminder let's protect our wild life.