For weeks, community members have been posting on Facebook about the famous Hippo statue from Jackson, Michigan’s Westwood Mall being bought.
Many businesses have made posts saying they have the hippo. While these have all been used as points of advertisements, the Pleasant Lake Post intends to clarify where the hippo actually resides.
This statue of a hippo has been in Jackson’s Westwood Mall since enclosed malls became a popular concept in the 1970s. There was a woman, who’s name is unknown to the publication, that was related to the owner of the Westwood Mall, and she decided that she would give each enclosed mall a bronze sculpture. Jackson was lucky enough to get “The Hippo.”
Although, to Jackson, this was never just a statue of a hippo. It is a staple of the Jackson, Michigan childhood that every person in the community is lucky to have. While every parent shops, their children go slide off of the hippo’s nose, pretend to ride it across the store, using it as a free playground.
Fun, as well as years of memories cost nothing. It is impossible to make a list of iconic things in Jackson without including the hippo. But recently, many people have been confused as to where the hippo is now.
The hippo has been seen on Facebook swimming at the YMCA, interviewed on JTV, and even testifying in Jackson’s 12th District Court. The Pleasant Lake Pub even posted a picture of the hippo sitting on their patio. So with the amount of confusion circulating on the internet, where is the hippo actually at?
The hippo from the Westwood mall is on the golf course of Hankerd Hills. It is possible to see one of Jackson’s greatest landmarks while golfing. People can take pictures with it, their kids can play on it while they golf, and if their shot is bad enough, they can even hit their ball from it.
However, getting it there was quite a process. First, the hippo had to be bought when it wasn’t for sale. So, the owners of Hankerd Hills had to make a deal with the owners of the Westwood mall to get the hippo.
But, Hankerd Hills was not the first business to try and buy the beloved hippo that everyone knows well from their childhood. Various undisclosed businesses have also made bets to try and get the hippo under their wing. And since this is such a hot topic in the Jackson area, the race was not small. Companies were placing bets of up to $10,000 on the hippo! But no one came as close to Hankerd Hills, who bought it for $30,000.
The next time the feeling of nostalgia kicks in, maybe golfing to see the hippo from the Westwood Mall isn’t a bad idea.
