SHOT TO DEATH

Evening Star, Issue 20876, 20 August 1931, Page 7

SHOT TO DEATH

FAMOUS HIPPOPOTAMUS Huberta, the famous hippopotamus, whoao great trek round Africa has not only kept the continent of her birth but the Press of many overseas nations interested for nearly three years, has been murdered, and her death has caused a wave of genuine sorrow throughout South Africa (says the ‘Now York Times’). Three cities are fighting to get possession of the pachyderm's remains, a public subscription nas been started to have the body mounted, and the decease of Huberta has been solemnly discussed in the Parliament of the dominion. Why all this fuss? Ever since 1929 this hippopotamus has been the most prominent and genuinely popular “personality ” in the life of South Africa, and the brute is (o-day the subject of longer obituary notices here than arc devoted to the majority of monarchs. The animal has been seriously described in the Union as “ a hippo with a soul.” Starting from her native jungle in the centre of Zululand, Huberta was smitten with an unprecedented wanderlust. Instead of continuing to wallow ip the crocodile streams of the Kaffir country where she was born, the beast set out for the south, her destination being unknown. She walked through .the cultivated sugar plantations of the Natal province, she scared motorists on the coastal highway, she looked in at the gasoline filling station near the village of Stangor, she scared but did not harm a number of Zulu and immigrant Hindu labourers out in the cane fields. At the city of Durban (population 160,000) Huberta made an appearance in the middle of the town, disregarding the thousands of motor cars and holding up a tramcar by sitting on the rails. The antics of the animal gave rise to sportsmen enough to ' refrain from destroying her. To confirm matters, the Provincial Council of Natal declared Huberta protected by law. Indians worshipped Huberta as a goddess; Zulus regarded her as the incarnation of the spirit of the great chief Chaka, and black and white gave her a goodhumoured greeting when they spied her out on the veldt. Following the coastline to the south the animal covered the better part of a thousand miles. At the village of Port St. Johns, on the foreshore of Pondoland, Huberta walked up tbo steps of tho Town Hall and charged the first municipal councillor who crossed her path. She disappeared for some weeks into tho wilder corners of KaCEraria, and turned up again not far from the important seaport of East London. Then Huberta made an excursion to the vicinity of Kingwilliamstown. Every few days the newspapers brought nows concerning the hippopotamus, and after a while tho reports were transmitted overseas. Huberta became an international celebrity. Several zoos’in the Union were anxious to catch her, but public sympathy was entirely with the freedom-loving traveller, and there was nation-wide glee when several elaborate schemes to lure Huberta into captivity proved unsuccessful. It was expected that she would tramp on toward Port Elizabeth, and goodness knows how far beyond. Just when the creature had again managed to elude a trapping expedition camo the news that was hashed to all the papers of tho country; “Huberta Shot Dead.” On the surface of a peaceful Kaffrarian river she had been found lloaiing with two bullets in her skull. Tbo anger that this caused throughout South Africa was not simulated. The Indians immediately offered prayers that the “ murderers ” bo found. In Parliament al Capo Town Mr Oswald Pirow, Minister of Justice, made a statement that the police were busy tracking the offenders, and rewards were offered for their capture. As for the killers, they are in for a rough time as soon as their names are known.