Portal:Derbyshire/Selected article/16
The Allenton Hippo is a substantive hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) skeleton that was found in Allenton, Derby, England in 1895. The skeleton is exhibited in Derby Museum and Art Gallery and is 3 metres (9.8 ft) in length. It is celebrated today in a sculpture near to where the skeleton was discovered.
The suburb of Derby called Allenton used to be a village 5 kilometres (3 mi) from Derby. Digging of a new well at the Crown Inn was undertaken in March 1895, but work stopped when the diggers discovered a bad smell and then large and unusual bones. Several people agreed to fund further investigations and that the findings should be shared with the community. The hole was extended until it was 4.5 square metres (48 sq ft) in area ...