In Citrus County, Lu was one of us

The Lu story always chokes me up.

Whenever I speak to a group about my reporter/blog experiences, someone usually asks about my favorite stories.

I have a few over the decades. Stories of goofy politicians, or investigative reporting where wrongdoing is exposed.

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None, though, reached Lu level.

I’ve mentioned the Lu story here a few times. How I wrote at the Chronicle about the state, after it purchased the Homosassa Springs Nature World Attraction in 1989, wanting to move Lu out since hippos aren’t native to Florida. And how the Chronicle asked readers what they thought. And how they reacted overwhelmingly to keeping Lu in the home he’s known since a child hippo.

And then Gov. Lawton Chiles gave Lu a temporary stay. And then the governor and Cabinet made Lu an honorary citizen of Florida.

This is the part that always got me:

And he would live out the rest of his days in Homosassa.

That happened over 30 years ago. And, on Sunday, Lu’s final day came.

Lu the hippo died Sunday at age 65. He was a year younger than I.

Lu’s passing hit me hard. This is dumb, but it never dawned on me that Lu had a lifespan. The experts say hippos can live to 60 in captivity, and Lu exceeded that. It seems Lu had a long and fruitful life.

It’s ironic that the Save Lu campaign started with the state’s idea that he’d be better off somewhere else. When the state bought Nature World, it developed plans to ship Lucifer to a facility in Lee County where another hippo had just passed. The idea being that Lu would be happier with other hippos than alone in his moat.

The citizens of Citrus County decided differently. I’d hazard a guess that for the last 35 years, Lu couldn’t be happier and more loved in his home.

And, oh my. Millions of visitors, adults and children, fawned over that big lug. His birthday parties in January were the stuff of legends.

The last party I attended and wrote for the Chronicle was Lu’s 50th. I’ve seen him since then, but it’s probably been a few years.

This loss is gut punch. Lu was a vestige of the old days before this county started morphing into Sarasota 2.0. His presence returned us to a simpler time.

I’m out and about quite a lot. Big open areas are being cleared for homes or businesses. We’re losing familiarity, and with that, comfort. Contentment — not sure if too many folks are feeling that these days.

Familiarity is significant. I was out on an errand the other day and took a drive down Turner Camp Road to the Withlacoochee River. Just to stand along the banks for a few minutes in that quiet, and breathe. I waited a few minutes as the whine of a boat motor upstream became louder until a tourist airboat breezed by.

Nature World — now the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park — always held a familiarity. That feeling of an old friend, always happy to greet me. I don’t think I was a Chronicle reporter for three weeks when I started finding reasons to write about the Attraction. I couldn’t get enough of the place.

Lu was always the star. Yeah, manatees and the Fish Bowl get all the press, but that hippo…who couldn’t love a critter like that?

My daughter Erin was about 2 years old when I introduced her to Lu. I’ll never forget her wide, big eyes watching Lu enjoy a meal. That was over 25 years ago. I remember it like yesterday.

And now he’s gone. Lu the hippo, an honorary Florida native, entertainer, and Splatter Zone aficionado. More than that, he was one of us. The community adopted Lu, and he reveled in it.

I stopped by the park on Monday. Rangers had erected a Lu memorial at the park’s entrance with a large card for visitors to leave mementos. I wrote, “Thanks Lu!” 

I wandered over to Lu’s lagoon and for the first time, it was empty. A mother duck with a half-dozen little ducklings swam about. No hippo to keep watch. It was sadly quiet.

Lu was our one-of-a-kind. We’re going to miss him very, very much.

Have a great weekend, friends.

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