Zookeeper Assists Frederic Burk Student in Feeding a Hippo at the San Francisco Zoo

During their 1960 trip to the San Francisco Zoo, Frederic Burk School students gather around the hippo enclosure to witness a memorable feeding moment. A zookeeper carefully guides a young student’s hand as they offer a leafy vegetable—likely lettuce or cabbage—to the hippo, which waits patiently with its massive mouth wide open at the water’s edge. The rest of the children watch closely, some leaning forward for a better view. This scene captures the combination of excitement, curiosity, and awe that often accompanied mid-century zoo visits, when public animal feedings were a common and cherished part of the experience.