Knowledge (XXG)

Billy (pygmy hippo)

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176: 183: 299: 247:, who was more widely known for and associated with his interest in animals. By August 1927, Coolidge had sent the second largest collection of animals of any president after Roosevelt to the zoo, and paid them frequent visits. Upon his arrival, Billy was one of the most-valuable animals the zoo had ever received, and was only the eighth pygmy hippopotamus to be brought to the United States. Billy was a popular animal; several months after his arrival, 520: 334:
to distinguish them. By the birth of Gumdrop XVI, the zoo had noticed something curious: of all Billy's calves, only one was male. Research would later confirm that pygmy hippos in captivity are far more likely to give birth to females, though not by such an extreme ratio as Billy. Twenty-three
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Today, pygmy hippos breed well in captivity: since Billy's arrival, 58 pygmy hippos have been born at the National Zoo alone. As one of the earliest pygmy hippos in captivity in the U.S. zoo system, Billy went on to become the direct ancestor of nearly all pygmy hippos in American zoos. When Billy
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Between 1931 and 1954, Hannah gave birth to 15 of Billy's calves, 7 of whom were reared or lived at least one year. Between 1943 and 1956, Matilda gave birth to 8 of Billy's calves, 6 of which were reared. At some point during the 1940s, the press started to refer to Billy as William Johnson
266:. A mate for Billy, a female named Hannah, was acquired by the zoo on September 4, 1929. Billy's and Hannah's first calf was born on August 26, 1931, but did not survive the week. "Inability to survive the neglect of an errant mother was the cause given for baby Hippo's demise", eulogized 285:
As Hannah's fourth pregnancy progressed, zookeepers noticed she seemed to be less agitated than previous pregnancies and attributed this to their new quarters: during her previous three pregnancies, Hannah had lived in the zoo's lion house, a stressful environment for a pregnant hippo. On
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years after Coolidge's death (January 5, 1933) Billy himself died on October 11, 1955, five months before the birth of Gumdrop XVIII. "He carried his work on to the end", said a zoo official. Hannah followed Billy in death on March 6, 1958.
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In Coolidge's autobiography he wrote about the unusual menagerie he collected and stated that he donated many of these animals, including Billy, to the National Zoo. Though Coolidge had a deep fascination with animals, he was overshadowed by
272:. Over the next two years, two more calves would follow, both of which died in infancy. Billy's third calf was killed when Hannah rolled on top of the baby and crushed it. "She's just a bad mother", said the zoo's long-time director 382:, on February 4, 1960, and traveled via station wagon to Washington the next day, where he would continue Billy's breeding legacy with the zoo's female pygmy hippos, two of which were Billy's daughters. 860:
Stroman, H.R., & Slaughter, L.M., "The care and breeding of the pygmy hippopotamus Choeropsis liberiensis in captivity", National Zoological Park, International Zoo Yearbook Vol. 12, 1972
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and other unusual animals. At the time, pygmy hippos were virtually unknown in the United States. On May 26, 1927, Coolidge was informed that he would receive the rare
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After a year or two at the National Zoo, Billy's offspring were typically sent to other locations. Among the places to which his progeny were transferred were the
326:, Mann traveled with the Smithsonian-Firestone Expedition to Liberia in 1940 and acquired a second mate for Billy, another female who came to be known as Matilda. 253:
wrote Billy was "as frisky as a dog. Even the antics of the monkeys go unobserved when the keeper opens the tiny hippo's cage and cuts up with him."
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to most pygmy hippos in American zoos. By the time of his death in 1955, Billy had sired 23 calves, 13 of whom survived at least a year.
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dispatched a search party to find a new male pygmy hippopotamus to ship to Washington. The pygmy hippopotamus, named Totota, arrived in
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Gross, Gerald G. (August 11, 1940). "Dr. Mann Back With Rare Beasts: 300 New Tenants for Zoo Here".
627:"Pygmy Hippo Kills Its Third Offspring; Jungle Mother Rolls on Latest Infant and Crushes Out Life". 793: 733: 716: 699: 646: 629: 612: 595: 298: 278: 268: 208: 190: 144: 239:, already adult-sized at 6 feet (1.8 m) long and around 600 pounds (270 kg), as a gift. 846: 829: 679: 665: 544: 505: 352: 249: 244: 129: 542:
Special to The New York Times (May 27, 1927). "Baby Hippo for Coolidge Is Coming From Liberia".
773: 644:"Baby-Killing Hippo Gives Birth Again at D.C. Zoo; Belated Baby Born at Zoo on Mother's Day". 574: 566: 344: 763: 379: 348: 315: 750:"Distorted Sex Ratio at Birth in the Captive Pygmy Hippopotamus, Hexaprotodon Liberiensis" 661: 558: 273: 220: 194: 160: 136: 287: 371: 356: 331: 330:
Hippopotamus. The zoo developed the tradition of naming all his calves Gumdrop, using
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Such was Billy's popularity in the 1930s that at the end of the decade he traveled to
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first came to the zoo, however, keepers did not know much about pygmy hippopotamus
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Gross, Gerald G. "Pity the Poor Stork! He's Late With a Baby Hippo for the Zoo".
777: 263: 375: 825: 232: 224: 219:, where he was captured on one of Firestone Tires' large plantations. 216: 140: 59: 36: 697:"Pygmy Hippo to Become Polygamist, New Mate Captured by Expedition". 683: 364: 360: 311: 844:"Hippo Takes a Shipboard Stroll, and Misses His Washington Debut". 678:(5). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 482–485. 297: 236: 808:"Annual Report on The National Zoological Park". Washington, DC: 228: 460: 458: 769:
10.1644/1545-1542(2002)083<0674:DSRABI>2.0.CO;2
668:(1940). "The Smithsonian-Firestone Expedition to Liberia". 521:"Pets of Presidents, From the Dog House to the White House" 16:
Calvin Coolidge's pygmy hippopotamus (before 1927-1955)
111: 100: 90: 80: 65: 53: 45: 35: 24: 290:of 1938, Hannah gave birth to a healthy baby. 147:in 1927. Billy spent most of his life in the 503:"Coolidge Pets Could Make Zoo of Their Own". 8: 823:"Pygmy Hippopotamus Starts for Washington". 19: 563:The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge (1929) 18: 767: 359:, and international destinations such as 893:National Zoological Park (United States) 610:"Ignored by Mother, Infant Hippo Dies". 128:(before 1927 – October 11, 1955), was a 445:Management of Wild Mammals in Captivity 402: 189: 588: 586: 438: 436: 434: 432: 410:Roby, Marguerite (25 September 2012). 282:, upon the death of the third infant. 170: 498: 496: 494: 151:In addition to his fame as an exotic 7: 197:(right), who donated Billy to the 155:—which afforded him a trip to the 14: 213:Firestone Tire and Rubber Company 527:. April 23, 2001. Archived from 416:Smithsonian Institution Archives 181: 174: 149:National Zoo in Washington, D.C. 888:United States presidential pets 850:. February 5, 1960. p. 29. 737:. January 31, 1955. p. 26. 731:"Baby Gumdrop Arrives at Zoo". 392:United States presidential pets 355:, the Miller Bros. Circus, the 349:Philadelphia Zoological Gardens 616:. August 30, 1931. p. M3. 159:—Billy is also notable as the 143:, he was given to Coolidge by 1: 104: 797:. March 31, 1956. p. 1. 791:"Gumdrop XVII Born At Zoo". 703:. July 10, 1940. p. 15. 126:William Johnson Hippopotamus 31:William Johnson Hippopotamus 833:. June 22, 1960. p. 2. 449:University of Chicago Press 919: 650:. May 9, 1938. p. X1. 633:. May 5, 1933. p. 18. 320:1939 New York World's Fair 304:1939 New York World's Fair 157:1939 New York World's Fair 883:Individual hippopotamuses 748:Zschokke, Samuel (2002). 443:Crandall, Lee S. (1964). 810:National Zoological Park 474:National Zoological Park 466:"Pygmy Hippo fact sheet" 671:The Scientific Monthly 412:"Goody Goody Gumdrops" 307: 301: 211:, the founder of the 193:(left) gave Billy to 755:Journal of Mammalogy 215:, acquired Billy in 794:The Washington Post 734:The Washington Post 717:The Washington Post 700:The Washington Post 647:The Washington Post 630:The Washington Post 613:The Washington Post 596:The Washington Post 531:on October 1, 2007. 525:The Washington Post 302:Billy attended the 279:The Washington Post 269:The Washington Post 209:Harvey S. Firestone 191:Harvey S. Firestone 145:Harvey S. Firestone 21: 878:1955 animal deaths 847:The New York Times 830:The New York Times 545:The New York Times 509:. August 28, 1927. 506:The New York Times 470:nationalzoo.si.edu 369:Liberian President 353:Catskill Game Farm 339:A legacy continued 308: 257:Parenting troubles 250:The New York Times 245:Theodore Roosevelt 130:pygmy hippopotamus 41:Pygmy hippopotamus 579:978-1-4102-1622-9 345:Cole Bros. Circus 205: 204: 119: 118: 910: 861: 858: 852: 851: 841: 835: 834: 820: 814: 813: 805: 799: 798: 788: 782: 781: 771: 745: 739: 738: 728: 722: 721: 711: 705: 704: 694: 688: 687: 658: 652: 651: 641: 635: 634: 624: 618: 617: 607: 601: 600: 590: 581: 559:Coolidge, Calvin 556: 550: 549: 539: 533: 532: 517: 511: 510: 500: 489: 488: 486: 485: 476:. Archived from 462: 453: 452: 440: 427: 426: 424: 422: 407: 185: 178: 171: 153:presidential pet 106: 76:October 11, 1955 75: 73: 28: 22: 918: 917: 913: 912: 911: 909: 908: 907: 903:Coolidge family 898:Calvin Coolidge 868: 867: 864: 859: 855: 843: 842: 838: 822: 821: 817: 807: 806: 802: 790: 789: 785: 747: 746: 742: 730: 729: 725: 713: 712: 708: 696: 695: 691: 666:Mann, Lucile Q. 660: 659: 655: 643: 642: 638: 626: 625: 621: 609: 608: 604: 592: 591: 584: 557: 553: 541: 540: 536: 519: 518: 514: 502: 501: 492: 483: 481: 464: 463: 456: 442: 441: 430: 420: 418: 409: 408: 404: 400: 388: 341: 296: 274:William M. Mann 259: 221:Calvin Coolidge 195:Calvin Coolidge 169: 161:common ancestor 137:Calvin Coolidge 71: 69: 58: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 916: 914: 906: 905: 900: 895: 890: 885: 880: 870: 869: 863: 862: 853: 836: 815: 800: 783: 762:(3): 674–681. 740: 723: 706: 689: 653: 636: 619: 602: 582: 551: 534: 512: 490: 454: 428: 401: 399: 396: 395: 394: 387: 384: 372:William Tubman 357:Fort Worth Zoo 340: 337: 332:Roman numerals 295: 294:Life as a stud 292: 258: 255: 203: 202: 187: 186: 179: 168: 165: 139:. Captured in 134:U.S. President 117: 116: 113: 109: 108: 102: 98: 97: 92: 88: 87: 82: 78: 77: 67: 63: 62: 55: 51: 50: 47: 43: 42: 39: 33: 32: 29: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 915: 904: 901: 899: 896: 894: 891: 889: 886: 884: 881: 879: 876: 875: 873: 866: 857: 854: 849: 848: 840: 837: 832: 831: 827: 819: 816: 811: 804: 801: 796: 795: 787: 784: 779: 775: 770: 765: 761: 757: 756: 751: 744: 741: 736: 735: 727: 724: 720:. p. 25. 719: 718: 710: 707: 702: 701: 693: 690: 685: 681: 677: 673: 672: 667: 663: 662:Mann, William 657: 654: 649: 648: 640: 637: 632: 631: 623: 620: 615: 614: 606: 603: 599:. p. X1. 598: 597: 589: 587: 583: 580: 576: 572: 571:1-4102-1622-5 568: 564: 560: 555: 552: 548:. p. 25. 547: 546: 538: 535: 530: 526: 522: 516: 513: 508: 507: 499: 497: 495: 491: 480:on 2007-11-14 479: 475: 471: 467: 461: 459: 455: 450: 446: 439: 437: 435: 433: 429: 417: 413: 406: 403: 397: 393: 390: 389: 385: 383: 381: 377: 373: 370: 366: 362: 358: 354: 350: 346: 338: 336: 333: 327: 325: 321: 317: 313: 305: 300: 293: 291: 289: 283: 281: 280: 275: 271: 270: 265: 256: 254: 252: 251: 246: 240: 238: 234: 230: 226: 222: 218: 214: 210: 200: 196: 192: 188: 184: 180: 177: 173: 172: 166: 164: 162: 158: 154: 150: 146: 142: 138: 135: 131: 127: 123: 114: 110: 103: 99: 96: 93: 89: 86: 83: 79: 68: 64: 61: 56: 52: 48: 44: 40: 38: 34: 30: 23: 865: 856: 845: 839: 824: 818: 803: 792: 786: 759: 753: 743: 732: 726: 715: 709: 698: 692: 675: 669: 656: 645: 639: 628: 622: 611: 605: 594: 562: 554: 543: 537: 529:the original 524: 515: 504: 482:. Retrieved 478:the original 469: 444: 419:. Retrieved 415: 405: 342: 328: 309: 288:Mother's Day 284: 277: 267: 260: 248: 241: 206: 199:National Zoo 125: 121: 120: 101:Years active 95:National Zoo 447:. Chicago: 167:Early years 57:Before 1927 872:Categories 484:2007-11-04 421:8 November 398:References 318:, for the 81:Occupation 72:1955-10-11 778:1545-1542 264:husbandry 229:lion cubs 207:In 1927, 132:given to 115:23 calves 112:Offspring 107:1930–1955 386:See also 380:New York 376:Brooklyn 316:New York 91:Employer 826:Reuters 812:. 1959. 233:raccoon 225:wallaby 217:Liberia 141:Liberia 122:Billy, 60:Liberia 37:Species 27:name(s) 776:  682:  577:  569:  365:London 361:Sydney 312:Queens 25:Other 684:17411 680:JSTOR 237:hippo 20:Billy 828:via 774:ISSN 575:ISBN 567:ISBN 423:2018 363:and 324:stud 231:, a 85:Stud 66:Died 54:Born 49:Male 764:doi 573:or 276:to 124:or 46:Sex 874:: 772:. 760:83 758:. 752:. 676:51 674:. 664:; 585:^ 565:, 561:. 523:. 493:^ 472:. 468:. 457:^ 431:^ 414:. 378:, 351:, 347:, 314:, 227:, 201:. 105:c. 780:. 766:: 686:. 487:. 451:. 425:. 306:. 74:) 70:(

Index

Species
Liberia
Stud
National Zoo
pygmy hippopotamus
U.S. President
Calvin Coolidge
Liberia
Harvey S. Firestone
National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
presidential pet
1939 New York World's Fair
common ancestor


Harvey S. Firestone
Calvin Coolidge
National Zoo
Harvey S. Firestone
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
Liberia
Calvin Coolidge
wallaby
lion cubs
raccoon
hippo
Theodore Roosevelt
The New York Times
husbandry
The Washington Post

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