Hippo

A vast, jovial presence concealing dangerous territorial aggression beneath.

Cyril Smith, the famously corpulent Liberal MP for Rochdale, projected a larger-than-life, bluff northern bonhomie that made him a beloved public figure for decades. Like the hippo, his jovial bulk masked a deeply dangerous and predatory nature, as posthumous revelations confirmed he was a prolific sexual abuser whose establishment connections shielded him from justice. His physical enormity, domineering local authority, and the shocking contrast between public warmth and private menace make the hippo an unsettling but apt fit.