CLASSIC: How Louisiana Almost Became a Hippo Ranching Hub

·43 min·4 clips

In 1910, the U.S. almost imported hippos to Louisiana to solve a national meat crisis.

This episode explores the early 1900s proposal to import hippopotamuses to Louisiana as a solution to a national meat shortage, detailing the lobbying efforts by oddball figures including rival spies and a congressman. It examines why the plan nearly succeeded before being overtaken by industrial agriculture, with humorous asides and historical context.

As heard by us

A hippo plan in Louisiana becomes a strange but real historical what-if.

Ridiculous History treats a Louisiana hippopotamus scheme as a real historical what-if, not just a joke. It follows the meat-supply logic behind the idea and then opens out to Fritz and Frederick Burnham, including the assassination orders that never came to pass.

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Why you'd press play

You want the hippo-ranching story Louisiana almost got.

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