Pet Hippo

Pet Jessica, a three-quarters of a ton pet hippo of retired game warden Tonie Joubert and his wife Shirley: The hippo greets Tonie, in particular, with special grunts and flicking ears whenever she sees him and follows him like a dog wherever he goes. There is no strict daily routine, but certain crucial things must not be missed - such as the 10 litres of sweet warm coffee, which Tonie bottle-feeds her with every day, or the dog pellets which she expects as treats. Most nights, Jessica totters off back to the river for a mudbath. But on other occasions she’ll wander into the house, wet and dripping slime and plonk herself on the couple’s bed. It is becoming a problem because - unlike the famous hippo in the Silentnight bed adverts - she has broken the Jouberts’ bed three times.