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- Ask any game warden, big game hunter or native of the African wilds, and they will tell you that hippos are not just huge and fearless, but also often so ruthlessly aggressive that they have been known to capsize small boats just to get a mouthful of hapless occupants.
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The hippo is considered to be extremely aggressive and has frequently been reported charging and attacking boats. [102] Small boats can easily be capsized by hippos and passengers can be injured or killed by the animals, or drown in the water. In one 2014 case in Niger, a boat was capsized by a hippo and 13 people were killed. [103]
- Hippo Profile
- Interesting Hippo Facts
- Hippo Fact-File Summary
The hippopotamus, or hippo, is native to sub-Saharan Africa and is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal. The name hippopotamus comes from an ancient Greek word that translates to mean ‘river horse’ and the hippo is the third-largest land mammal following the elephant and rhinoceros.
1. Hippos are the deadliest large land animal on the planet
The Hippopotamus is one of the most dangerous animals in the world, killing an estimated 500 people a year in Africa. They are extremely aggressive, unpredictable, have sharp teeth and can crush a human or predator to death with relative ease due to their size. In one 2014 case in Niger, a boat was capsized by a hippo and 13 people were killed. 1
2. Hippos love the water!
The hippopotamus is a semi-aquatic mammal. This means that even though they’re a mammal like humans, dogs, cats, and other similar species, they spend a majority of their life in the water. Their historic habitat even included the Nile River. They love the water so much that the Greeks had named them river horses! However, they only spend their days in the water. By night, they’re on the land and grazing for up to 6 hours.
3. There’s only one wild herd famous outside of Africa…
And it has its roots entangled with Pablo Escobar! During his time, Escobar ran a private zoo which featured hippopotamuses. After he left, however, they escaped into the wild and continued to thrive in Colombia, where they are now part of a herd of at least 80. Since the hippo is an invasive species in this area that could damage the river ecosystems and native wildlife, there are now efforts to help reduce their ability to reproduce, providing a more humane way to halt the growth of the her...
Scientific Classification
1. AFP. “Hippopotamus attack kills 13 people, including 12 children, in boat near Niger’s capital Niamey” ABC News. November 19, 2014. 2. Weisburger, Mindy. “Pablo Escobar’s ‘cocaine hippos’ are being sterilized because the population is out of control.” Live Science. October 21, 2021. 3. Berkovitz, Barry K.B. “Tusks and Ivory” in Nothing but a Tooth. 2013. 4. Moustafa M Haddara et al. “Hippopotamus bite morbidity: a report of 11 cases from Burundi“. National Library of Medicine. August 10th,...
- Rivers, lakes & mangrove swamps
- sub-Saharan Africa, Colombia
- 40-50 years
- 13-18 ft (4 to 5.5 m)
Oct 8, 2024 · It begins to eat grass by one month and is weaned at six to eight months of age. Cows produce a calf every two years. Young calves are vulnerable to crocodiles, lions, and hyenas. It is thought that attacks on small boats are antipredator behaviour, with the hippos mistaking the boats for crocodiles.
- There are two species of hippopotamus. Both species are classified in the family Hippopotamidae, but belong to two genera. The familiar Nile or common hippo, Hippopotamus amphibious, is more abundant and can be found in aquatic habitats across sub-Saharan Africa.
- Whales and dolphins are the hippo’s closest relatives. Despite their name, derived from Greek for “horse of the river,” hippopotamuses aren’t related to horses.
- Hippos are built for the water. With their rotund bodies, big heads, and small legs, hippos are basically submarine-shaped. They spend most of their time resting in lakes, rivers, and wetlands.
- Hippos can’t swim. Surprisingly, these semi-aquatic animals can’t swim. They have dense bones that cause them to sink in deep water, but are perfect for walking, galloping, or bouncing in shallow rivers and lakes.
Hippo guide: how big they are, what they eat, how fast they run - and why they are one of the most dangerous animals in the world. The second largest animal on land after the elephant, the Hippopotamus or hippo is a fascinating species which is most powerful – and dangerous in water. Find out more about hippos in our expert guide, including ...
Mar 10, 2011 · Hippos have impressive teeth inside their huge mouths. Their molars are used for eating while their long, sharp canines—which can reach 20 inches —are for fighting.
Their slightly smaller bodies have adapted to allow them to easily navigate the vegetation in rainforests. The hippopotamus is the second largest mammal on earth. Learn more about the hippo’s habitat, diet, strength, threats, and other interesting facts.
