Hippopotamus (sculpture) - St. Louis Zoo - St. Louis, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 38.132 W 090° 17.544
15S E 735673 N 4279810
This hippo is in the children's play area in the Discovery Zone, kids, climb in, on, and around.
Waymark Code: WM12952
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 04/03/2020
Views: 1
County of statue: St. Louis Independent City
Location of statue: River's Edge area, St. Louis Zoo
Artist: Bob Cassilly
The is no text upon this sculpture
Proper Description: "Hippopotamus standing on short legs with large, open mouth. Sculpture is hollow with large slit in belly to provide access to interior of sculpture." ~ Smithsonian American Art Museum
Remarks: "Sculpture was designed as an interactive piece, with room for children to sit inside mouth." ~ Smithsonian American Art Museum
"The late Bob Cassilly, not known for his conventional approach to the world, created magnificent sculptures for the Zoo over more than a decade. The manta ray, giant squid and great white shark in the Zoo's Living World rotunda and an enormous hippopotamus in the Emerson Children's Zoo represent his early, realistic animal representations. Later, the wonderful, gracefully elongated sea lions in the south entrance plaza show a more abstract side to his art that seems the concrete animals come to life." ~ St. Louis Zoo
"What Is an Immersion Exhibit?
"An immersion exhibit is a lushly planted naturalistic environment that gives visitors the sense they're actually in the animals' habitats. Buildings and barriers are hidden. By recreating as many sights and sounds as possible from natural environments, immersion exhibits provide an exciting experience and educate visitors about how animals live in the wild.
"Have you ever noticed that in almost every habitat you hear an amazing variety of insect drones and chirps, bird calls and frog choruses? The Zoo has recreated these sounds of nature in its exhibits, thanks to a state-of-the-art audio system installed along the visitor pathways. Keep your ears open for the chatter of macaque monkeys in the trees, the high-pitched squeaks of bats in the cave and the sudden rattle of a Missouri rattlesnake coming from the undergrowth.
"The Zoo has also placed "clues" of animal existence along the path. For instance, as you wind your way through River's Edge you may spot a nest full of ostrich eggs, the tracks of a tiger, a warthog skull and other subtle and simulated reminders that the natural world is filled with a wide variety of species.
"An important component of most wild places today is humans. Items like fishing traps, logging equipment and cultural artifacts remind visitors that humans share this world with animals.
"Several man-made structures along the pathways serve as interpretive "nodes" in which visitors can learn more about animals and their conservation. They are yet another dynamic way that the zoo "immerses" visitors in some of today's complex issues involving humans and wildlife conservation." ~ St. Louis Zoo