America Almost Experimented with "Lake Cow Bacon"

The Japanese delegation introduced the beautiful water hyacinth to America at the 1884 World’s Fair in New Orleans. People liked it, and the plant thrived in Louisiana's lakes and bayous. By 1910, it was choking the state's waterways, and it seemed nothing could stop it. How do you combat an invasive species? Many times in the past, we've done it by importing another invasive species to eat it. A Louisiana congressman came up with an idea to combat the water hyacinth by bringing in hippos from Africa! That plan would have also helped with the nation's meat supply. What could possibly go wrong? Congress became excited about the prospect, but for various reasons, it never happened. 

A hundred years later, we can be thankful the idea wasn't tried. We now know that hippopotami can be really dangerous animals that don't lend themselves to domestication. Besides that, they are classified as a vulnerable species even in their native countries due to human encroachment. Read about the unrealized dream of American hippos at Strange Company. 

(Image credit: Bernard DUPONT)