How Facebook saved a Georgian Hippo

A group of young activists from different countries and all walks of life came together in Romania this week to talk about social media and the impact it has on today’s world, using the Tbilisi food as an example.

Social media can be used very effectively during election time; it can also be used during times of disaster, noted the 25 youths from Georgia, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine.

The flash flood that hit Georgia’s capital Tbilisi on June 13 was a good example of how social media could be used to help people unite following a disaster, disseminate information to a mass audience and foster camaraderie to overcome obstacles.

One of the five things the young activists learnt during their summer camp in Romania was ‘How Facebook saved a Georgian hippo’.

"After the Tbilisi floods, crocodiles, tigers and bears (oh my) — and an exceedingly cute baby hippo — were displaced from the zoo in the capital,” stated an article on blog-publishing platform www.medium.com.

"The hippo, it turns out, was found in front of the Swatch watch shop, and images and video of this went viral. Through a grassroots Facebook campaign, young Georgians mobilisied thousands of volunteers  who helped clean the streets — and make sure the baby hippo made it back home safe and sound.”

You can read the full story here.