In 1910 the hippopotamus nearly became a fixture of the American countryside and the American menu. Why?
Answer: A plan was formulated to import hippopotamus from Africa into Louisiana. The hippos would consume the water hyacinth, a weed that was particularly badly infecting the state’s bayous. Simultaneously hippos would produce meat to help resolve American meat shortages. The “American Hippo Bill” failed by one vote in the US Congress.
Source: Ecological Challenges and Conservation Conundrums by John A. Wiens
