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I Dream AfricaHippopotamus |
![]() Introduction: The origin of the name hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) comes from the Greek 'water or river horse'. This comes as no surprise as they are strong and fast swimmers and will attack when wounded or agitated. They are characterized by their huge mass; short, barrel-shaped body, smooth naked skin and short, stout legs.
The hippo is the most dangerous animal in Africa and is responsible for more human fatalities and injuries in the wild than any other mammal. They are usually found in schools / pods / bloats of 5 to 20, but often congregate in larger numbers. Adult bulls will aggressively defend their territory and most males have scars from previous conflicts. Small boats and in some cases mokoro's, have been overturned or badly damaged as a result of hippo attacks. They are in the main protecting their young, but your poler on a mokoro trip on the Chobe or Zambezi Rivers will steer clear of hippo, especially if they are with their families. |
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