Hippos eat 5kg of Brussels sprouts for early Christmas dinner

Two hungry hippos have had their Christmas dinner early this year, as zookeepers at Whipsnade Zoo served them up a whopping 5kg of Brussels sprouts.

Four-year-old Common hippopotamus Hodor and his mum, Lola, were invited to try a new vegetable this festive season by their keepers, who thought they would love the taste of the much-maligned Christmas side-dish.

Although the hippos had never tried sprouts before, their keepers were hopeful that Brussels sprouts could be a new favourite, based on their love of cabbages and the similarity between the leafy vegetables.

Sign up to our free newsletters by clicking here