According to ripleys.com, Huberta – initially named Billy, followed by Hubert before her sex was determined – wound up having many adventures during her trek, making her an unexpected, international celebrity and South Africa’s “national pet.” She successfully avoided capture while traipsing through golf courses, gardens, and other areas of the countryside. Since hippopotamuses typically roam after dark, she had the ability to travel in stealth. While the press and her fans tried to catch her in action, they often only saw the footprints she left behind, according to Mahlatini Luxury Travel.

It’s unclear what motivated Huberta the hippo to leave her home at the St. Lucia Estuary in KwaZulu-Natal in 1928, but according to South African website Getaway, people believed that she was either looking for a male companion or she ran off after her mother died at their watering hole. Another more romantic theory was that she was seeking the home of her ancestors.  

Some information regarding her journey is a bit vague as she so skillfully avoided humans. Still, the South African-based Natal Mercury newspaper got its hands on a photo early on during her adventure, and its publication sparked intense interest from people around the world. It was a positive news story to follow during the late 1920s, which was a challenging time economically for many people all over the world.  Read more about Huberta here.