A likely descendant of Billy lounges at the Louisville Zoo.

Billy, the Pygmy Hippo, was one of the most unusual pets ever kept by a President of the United States. In addition to his fame as an exotic presidential pet, Billy is also notable as the common ancestor to most pygmy hippos in American zoos.^[1] Binomial name Choeropsis liberiensis (Morton, 1849) Subspecies The Pygmy Hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) is a large mammal native to the forests and swamps of western Africa (the species name, meaning of Liberia, reflects this). ... This is a list of pets belonging to various US Presidents and their families, while serving their term(s) in office. ... The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. ...

In 1927, Harvey Firestone, the founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, acquired Billy in Liberia, where Firestone Tires operated a large plant. Calvin Coolidge, who was the U.S. President at the time, was known for his collection of unusual exotic animals which included many dogs, birds, a wallaby, lion cubs, a raccoon and other unusual animals.^[2] At the time, pygmy hippos were virtually unknown in the United States. Firestone gave the exotic animal to Coolidge as a gift. 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar). ... Harvey Samuel Firestone (December 20, 1868 - February 7, 1938) was the founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, one of the first global makers of automobile tires and an important contributor to North American economic growth in the 20th century. ... The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900. ... John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. ... Ancient aboriginal rock painting of a wallaby in Kakadu National Park in Northern Australia. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae. ... Type species Procyon lotor Linnaeus, 1758 Species Procyon cancrivorus Procyon insularis Procyon lotor Skull of a raccoon, showing dentition. ...

In Coolidge's autobiography he wrote about the unusual menagerie he collected and stated that he donated many of these animals, including Billy, to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.^[3] Pygmy hippos breed well in captivity, and as one of the earliest pygmy hippos in captivity in the U.S. zoo system, Billy went on to become the direct ancestor of nearly all pygmy hippos in American zoos. Since Billy's arrival, 58 pygmy hippos have been born at the National Zoo alone. The Smithsonian National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo or Washington Zoo, is a zoo located in Washington, D.C. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). ...

See also

• List of United States Presidential pets

This is a list of pets belonging to various US Presidents and their families, while serving their term(s) in office. ...

References