The hippopotamus Obaysch, the first seen in…
1850 CE
He was captured on an island on the White Nile when he was less than one year old.
His name is derived from the name of the island.
The Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt, Abbas Pasha, had agreed with the British Consul General, Sir Charles Murray (later known as "Hippopotamus Murray") to swap Obaysch and some other exotic animals for some greyhounds and deerhounds.
Obaysch had been sent by boat down the Nile to Cairo, accompanied by a herd of cows to provide him with milk.
Sent by P&O steamer to Southampton, he arrives at London Zoo on May 25.
He was an instant sensation in London, attracting up to ten thousand visitors each day, and spawning a trade in hippo memorabilia and even a Hippopotamus Polka (by L. St. Mars).
The number of visitors to the Zoo in 1850 will be double the previous year.
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