for a variety of reasons it has proven difficult to anaesthetize hippopotamuses. The thick skin and the dense subcutaneous tissue make it difficult to introduce sufficient amounts of anesthetics and opioid-based anesthetics often cause breathing irregularities and occasionally even death. In addition, the level of anesthesia is only rarely sufficient to enable surgery to be undertaken: few vets wish to be around when a drugged hippopotamus starts to wake up.

In the Annual Report for 1933 of the Zoological Gardens of Budapest a peacock is mentioned which showed a marked preference for the evening concerts, and habitually took up its position in the immediate vicinity of the orchestra. After some time it began to contribute loud screeches to the concerts, with the result that it became necessary to remove the musical peacock.
-Ciba Symposia, Feb 1942, p.1150.

The Bolyki Brothers acapella group performed on the first of seven musical evenings being held by the zoo every Wednesday until 17 August. The ensemble is the best-known acapella outfit in Hungary and are not only good musicians but charming, original and highly entertaining. It was a perfect choice as the singers tolerated the competition from the choir of frogs in the lake with good humour. Most of the waterbirds were already sleeping except for a few night owls such as the ducks, some herons and storks. Not to be outdone by the frogs, the birds also chimed in and one duck desperately tried to get into showbiz by continually manoeuvring overhead. A peacock atop a thatched hut was a quiet and dignified listener and no question a groupie. Later I heard from the zoo staff that some birds are well known music lovers and have participated in the concerts for years.