The papyrus ..

The papyrus itself no longer grows wild in Egypt. Along
with the swamps, wildlife has been driven farther south into Africa. The
wildlife once included the hippopotamus. a danger to people and crops, which is
seen in many tomb scenes being hunted with harpoons. To the ancient Egyptians it
was also a symbol of fertility, and the pregnant hippopotamus goddess was
believed to protect women in childbirth. The crocodile, another river creature
that is both feared and revered, was patron god of the Faiyum region. By the
mid-19th century the crocodile had been hunted out of Egypt, and could not be
found north of the Second Cataract. The desert wildlife has also been pushed
further south by the encroachment of man and the desiccation of the region.