After listening to the song “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” Lunchbox wondered if you could actually buy one, so he called a zoo and asked by using the lyrics of the song to try and negotiate a deal for a hippopotamus.
Lunchbox used his fake name Jason Gibbles when he called the zoo and said his son really wants a hippopotamus for Christmas. The zoo employee thought he was asking for a stuffed animal one and named all the hippopotamus merch they have but that a real one was not for sale. He said he’d pay any amount of money to get his son a real hippopotamus for Christmas. The employee stated that there is danger in owning a hippopotamus because you need trained staff, but Lunchbox said he’s not worried about it. He ended the call by saying he’ll come to the zoo with a check for $15,000 to get his hippopotamus. The employee reminded him again that a real one is not for sale and asked him to just buy a zoo membership.