Colchester Zoo Hippos

In my dream last night, I went to Colchester Zoo with family, most notably my mother who has never been, but we never made it past the gates. After parking, we discovered a sign saying that the elephants were currently off-show due to winter conditions. This 'off-show' message simply meant that they were now housed in a temporary shack on the outskirts of the car park, along with several other animals. This dream was triggered by my recent research into zoos and the fact that many are now opting out of exhibiting elephants after it has been proven they do not adapt well to captivity and are prone to psychological trauma and stereotypical behaviour.

We went over to see the elephants in their 'temporary' accommodation and they greeted us with curled trunks. I was soon distracted however, by the barn-like exhibit next door housing hippos. Colchester Zoo has never had the common species of hippopotamus, only pygmies, so I was understandably excited. Due to the muddiness of their pool, I couldn't tell how many there were, but I watched them swimming around for a long time. There were also other animals in this mixed enclosure, including waterfowl and small antelopes. As I watched, one of the duikers went charging into the wired electric fence on the perimeter and got its foreleg hopelessly tangled. Unable to move, the antelope fell onto its side, twitching spasmodically as the current coursed through its leg. An African wood stork flew over and clamped its long yellow beak over the leg, hoping to free it. The electricity then got both of them, and I moved away from the pathetic pile-up to see the hippos.

Hoping to get a good photograph of one yawning, I leaned over the fence as a large male reared his head from the muddy pool. He then opened his jaws wide, mud pouring from his cavernous maw. My mother was pressing into me from behind, towards the mouth, as I desperately tried to backpedal out of harm's way. We both toppled over onto the ground as the hippo's mouth came within inches of us, its rancid breath reeking of rotten vegetables. My sisters laughed at us as we lay in the dirt, shouting "Honeyford!" which is our mother's nickname. I've been dreaming about hippos an awful lot lately, so I'm wondering if some big event concerning them is on the horizon.