WI: American Hippo Bill passed/Hippos in the USA

[GameBawesome]

I just recently found something interesting. In 1910, there was a proposal in congress to fund $250,000, in importing hippos from Africa to Louisiana, for meat and to combat an invasive plant species. It proposed by congressman Robert F. Broussard, who proposed American Hippo Bill, and was backed by former US President, Theodore Roosevelt, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was described as “Lake cow bacon”. However, the bill fell short, and was never passed

It sounds like a stupid plan (which is was), but I’m wondering how disastrous it would be?

What if the bill was passed, and $250,000 worth of African hippos were imported into the Louisiana?

Could “Lake Cow Bacon” become a thing?
Could the hippos population be controlled?
How long would it take for the US to realize their mistake?

 

[PrincessOfChina]

hippos are incredibly dangerous and basically take over local ecosystems that aren't used to them. Tthey kill more people than lionss so the locals would face that problem within a few generations, they easily angered and highly territorial. I wonder how they taaste

 

[Monk78]

“Lake cow bacon”.

Hippo jerky ...yummy

 

[MattII]

This isn't the first time this WI has been proposed:
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/wi-american-hippo-bill-gets-passed.464397/
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/wi-american-hippo-bill-passes-in-1910.375163/
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/hippo-farming-in-the-usa.301721/

 

[Arkenfolm]

They have slow reproductive cycles and take several years to grow to maturity. Given perceived or actual damage to property and the number of people with guns and hunting licenses in Louisiana and adjacent states, if/when the hippos got out of control they'd quickly be brought back under control or straight up exterminated for not just the meat (someone's gonna eat it) but the ivory too.

 

[The History Man]

An American author, Sarah Gailey, had a fictional novel, "River of Teeth" published in 2017. It imagined a scenario where hippo ranching in Louisiana became reality. Worth reading.

 

[Dave Howery]

An American author, Sarah Gailey, had a fictional novel, "River of Teeth" published in 2017. It imagined a scenario where hippo ranching in Louisiana became reality. Worth reading.

I read it. I'd argue about the 'worth reading' part. The basic story wasn't a bad one, but the characters... every single one... are immensely unlikable. This is one of the few AH novels I've decided not to keep, and gave it to a used book store...

 

[Jan Olbracht]

They have slow reproductive cycles and take several years to grow to maturity.

And still, since death of Pablo Escobar his 4 hippos (1 male and 3 females) multipled to 65-80 animals by 2019:

Hippopotamuses in Colombia - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Xenophonte]

And still, since death of Pablo Escobar his 4 hippos (1 male and 3 females) multipled to 65-80 animals by 2019:

Hippopotamuses in Colombia - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Yeah, but I think that given the differences on river trafic, the geographicals and especially the population densities so different between these Colombian region and Louisiana... I'd think that an eventual Hippos population in the US wouldn't be able to grow to the size of their OTL Colombian counterparts...

 

[FightingBob24]

Chuckling at the idea of a Mardi Gras parade being crashed by angry hippos😁

Needless to say it would be a mess, but as was previously said could probably be brought under control with enough effort.

 

[PrincessOfChina]

They have slow reproductive cycles and take several years to grow to maturity. Given perceived or actual damage to property and the number of people with guns and hunting licenses in Louisiana and adjacent states, if/when the hippos got out of control they'd quickly be brought back under control or straight up exterminated for not just the meat (someone's gonna eat it) but the ivory too.

I think ur probably right, they'd start culling them pretty fast, I'm not sure you can really farm them has anyone done that before.

 

[PrincessOfChina]

Hippo jerky ...yummy

I'm Chinese I have too ask what it tastes like, my people have done that for virtually every other animal so gotta try hippo

 

[Monk78]

I'm Chinese I have too ask what it tastes like, my people have done that for virtually every other animal so gotta try hippo

moo goo gai pan

 

[Born in the USSA]

There's a Sea Lion Press offering called Bearfish: An Almost-History of Southern Livestock where they're imported (along with several other species mentioned in passing). Among other things they spread far outside their intended range, become a symbol of both socialism (because they can't be properly farmed industrially) and as an originally derrogatory symbol of black identity (as an African animal imported to America). Also hippo infestations basically make the attempts to develop Florida a massive money hole, so the Seminoles have a far stronger position in the state.

 

[GuildedAgeNostalgia]

How far do the Hippos go up river?

 

[Mackon]

They have slow reproductive cycles and take several years to grow to maturity. Given perceived or actual damage to property and the number of people with guns and hunting licenses in Louisiana and adjacent states, if/when the hippos got out of control they'd quickly be brought back under control or straight up exterminated for not just the meat (someone's gonna eat it) but the ivory too.

Did they do hunting licenses in 1910?

 

[Strategos' Risk]

Someone wrote two books about it:

https://www.amazon.com/American-Hippo-River-Marrow-Stories/dp/1250176433