Stranger Things
The recent snow brought a beautiful serenity to the landscape, hidden below a rolling white blanket … a monochrome scene made all the more dramatic by the low winter sunshine that seemed to sharpen every detail. Solitary animal tracks marked the white surface here and there – perhaps small muntjac deer that live in the local forests, searching for grass to eat along the rough fairway edges or maybe a fox out on the hunt. There were strange smaller tracks too, much closer together, that set my mind wandering. There had been some recent chatter on social media about a ‘pigmy hippo’ seen in the area … but surely that had to be nonsense!
The low winter evening sun glinting off distant fields with dark cliffs falling sheer into the sea
The snow disappeared as quickly as it came, revealing the raised beds in my garden once again. This was a prompt for me to start preparing my veg growing plan for the year. So there I was, sitting in my kitchen early in the morning, sipping fresh coffee while flicking through my copy of SeeHow – Veg. I was playing with different veg options and thinking about future harvests, when suddenly I was distracted by a small movement behind one of the raised beds. Something was edging its way along the bed and every now-and-again, part of it popped into view above the edge of the wooden board. At first I thought it must be one of the local cats trying to sneak up on the feeding birds – a constant threat. But there was something very unusual about the grey / brown colour of the creature. And, more to the point, what I had seen didn’t look like fur – more like ‘skin’ actually. So imagine my astonishment when a tiny pigmy hippo waddled into view!
The pigmy hippo turned towards me, completely unafraid.
Impossible but true – a pigmy hippo … maybe ‘the’ pigmy hippo I’d been reading about! How many could there be? It stood quite still, looking at my astonished face through the window and to my surprise, it jumped straight to the top of the small bird table, as agile as a cat and actually winked at me! I couldn’t believe it. It stood there, on its short legs, looking at me as if it expected to be fed. Clearly it didn’t like bird seed or old whole-grain bread.
Despite its tiny size, it was easily able to jump on to the small bird feeding table in the middle of the garden
But it did appear to like the cut apples I had put out earlier for the blackbirds so I quartered a fresh one and cautiously opened the back door. It seems the little hippo was used to people, as it waited unafraid while I slowly approached and put the apple pieces down on the table. They didn’t last long! And in a moment it jumped down from the table and set off around the garden, exploring.
The little hippo made its way between the raised beds, exploring its new home
The hippo seemed to like the smell and taste of parsley
It seems it found a favourite place, nestled between the large curry plant and the wooden edge of one of the raised bed
The little hippo has been living in my garden for the past few days – exploring my raised beds, eating the longer grass below the bird feeder and enjoying a supply of fresh fruit and veg normally put out for the birds. I’ve read that if we create the right garden habitat, nature will come. I had been expecting birds of course and possibly even a hedgehog … but a pigmy hippo! I do love my new unexpected guest. It can stay as long as it wants. It just shows, stranger things do still happen!
Happy gardening 2026!
The above Text and all Photographs are copyright of Wincenty (Wicek) Sosna. Please contact SeeHow (07939 226417) for permission to reproduce in any way, in part or as the complete text.
Wicek, now semi-retired, is a multi-award-winning architect. He is also a writer, horticulturalist and keen gardener. He lives in Macduff on the dramatic north Aberdeenshire coast. Wicek invented the unique interactive SeeHow gardening book concept, which actually shows gardeners how plants and veg grow throughout the calendar-year. Because SeeHow books work visually, anyone can use them - from school children to garden design professionals. Pictures really are worth 1,000 words!
Exciting Opportunity!
SeeHow is looking for investors / crowd-funders to help it grow – specifically to develop the SeeHow App.
Please spread the word to friends and colleagues you think may be interested. For anyone who would like to know more about becoming part of the SeeHow adventure, please contact Wicek Sosna on +44 (0) 7939 226417