In 1941, during the Siege of Leningrad, Yevdokia Dashina saved a hippo named Belle. As water to the zoo was cut off, Belle’s skin began to crack. Every day, Dashina hauled 40-liter barrels from the Neva River and rubbed Belle with camphor oil, allowing Belle to survive and hide during air raids.

Posted Mar 2, 2026, 4:03 PM UTC
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