Italy on Friday was mourning the death of Pippo, Europe's oldest hippopotamus, who spent 40 years as a children's favourite at a zoo near Verona.
His exact age was unknown as he was donated to the Bussolengo Natura Viva park by a travelling circus in 1969, but he is believed to have been over 50 years old.
''Recently Pippo had begun to feel the weight of his years, and he was looked after with love by all the staff,'' the park said.
The zoo's mascot, Pippo was too tame to be kept with other hippos, who can turn violent. In the wild, they have been known to attack crocodiles, boats and humans.
The park is collecting photos, drawings and poems about the hippo to create a memorial where visitors can pay their respects.
The oldest living hippo in captivity is 57-year-old Donna, at Mesker Park Zoo in the United States.
