Lu the Hippo (Captive)
Ellie Schiller
Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park
Homosassa Springs, Florida
For more than four decades, Lu has been a mainstay among the animals at Homosassa Springs. When the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Park Service purchased the former attraction in 1989, the state planned to shift the emphasis from exotic animals to native Florida wildlife and find homes for all of the exotic species, including Lu. Public support led the state to grant Lu a special Florida citizenship in 1991, allowing him to stay at the park.
Lu is now 54 years old.
