Of all the horrors of war, a destitute hippo is one of the last sights you would expect to see. Belle the hippo survived the Siege of Leningrad thanks to her devoted caretaker, Yevdokia Dashina. In 1941, as the Siege of Leningrad intensified, water was cut off throughout the city, leaving Belle's pool empty and her skin beginning to dry out. Undeterred, Dashina took it upon … [Read more...] about Belle the Hippo: A Symbol of Hope and Resilience in Leningrad