Safari Series • Tanzania Africa Safari...
Hippo is the MOST dangerous animal in Africa. It is estimated that hippo attacks kill 500 people each year in Africa. Makes you wonder…… these animals….are big and appear to be slow-moving. Oh but don’t let that deceive you! Running, they can match the speed of a human on land. You cannot outrun a hippos. This big fella can run 30 miles per hour - almost 43 kph. So…..if you find yourself in this situation…….best to climb a tree. They are much faster and more dangerous in the water.
Why…..would the hippo attack you? Well……….they are territorial in the water…..so….if they feel threatened they will become aggressive towards you. When their areas are crowded they have to compete for resources and they will charge at anything that they perceive as a threat.
To stay cool in the blistering African heat, hippos spend most of their day in rivers and lakes. Their eyes, nose and ears are located on the top of their head, which means they can see and breathe whilst submerged in the water. Males measure around 3.5m long and 1.5m tall, and can weigh up to 3,200kg. That’s as much as three small cars! A sweat an oily red liquid which helps protect their skin from drying out - and acts as a sunblock, too.
Hippos are most active at night, when they forage for food. They are herbivores, and eat mostly grass - and boy do they eat grass! In just one night, they can guzzle down up to 77 lbs or 35kg of their favorite grub! Hippos usually live in groups (or “herds”) of around ten to 20 individuals, led by one large dominant male. The other members are females, their young and a few young non-breeding males. Dominant males are very protective over their group. To warn off rival males, they open their huge mouths and display their long, curved canines! They also make loud grunts and aggressive splashes in the water.
In the wild hippos live for around 40 years. In captivity, they tend to live longer and may reach up to 50 years old.