I spotted this hippo (I could hardly miss it!) while touring Chobe National Park in Botswana. As a photography subject he was irresistible. Was he angry or was he just yawning? Hard to tell.
The hippopotamus is widely regarded as the most dangerous land mammal in Africa, causing an estimated 500 human deaths annually. This is more than double the number of people believed killed by lions. Hippos are very aggressive and territorial and can move surprisingly fast for a 2,000-kilogram-plus animal. In the water they have been known to charge small boats and capsize them.
Despite their love of the water, hippos are so dense they can’t float and they can’t even swim in the traditional sense. They move around by walking on or bouncing off the bottom of the river. Hippos are abundant in Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta and their deep grunting noise is one of Africa’s most characteristic sounds.
