And check out this article from a couple of months ago in "Africa News" (www.namibian.com.na/2000/October/africa/00AC8AC795.html) about "rampaging hippos spreading terror." The hippopotamus has long been an enigma: an aquatic mammal that cannot swim, a vegetarian that is also the most dangerous animal in Africa. Their powerful jaws can snap a canoe in half. The best of The Straight Dope, delivered to your inbox. It’s not every …/. To make a day of it, I asked a girlfriend to join me on the journey - not only to enjoy the Cape Winelands’ fabulous wine and food offerings but also the visual feast on offer…. Most human deaths occur when the victim gets between the hippo and deep water or between a mother and her calf. “But I have a relationship with the most dangerous animal in Africa.” Hippos are one of the most dangerous and aggressive mammals, according to the San Diego Zoo. I've heard more than a few times at zoos and on nature programs that the hippopotamus is responsible for more deaths in the wild than lions, tigers or crocodiles. They are largely recognized as Africa's most dangerous animal...and they can ruin your day. Amongst the world’s most dangerous and aggressive animals, hippos often attack humans without any warning, reason or apparent provocation. ). The hippo reportedly escaped. Bring your zoom lens and leave the up-close photography to the wildlife photographers. The spike-like teeth and enormous jaws of the hippo are quite frightening. Once I asked Tom Silva, the mammal curator at the Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque, why we don’t have hippos here and he suggested that routine cleaning of my tropical fish aquariums pales compared to the chore of cleaning a hippo tank, to put it mildly. Hyacinth in her tutu admittedly does come to mind as you watch this big tub-o-lard delicately prance along the bottom like a moon walker. Recently named Best Safari Lodge and #5 of …/, When Marty and Patti asked us to put a holiday through East Africa together for them, we were immediately filled with excitement. This figure … Cape Town, South Africa, © 2020 Southern Destinations All Rights Reserved. STAFF REPORTS ARE WRITTEN BY THE STRAIGHT DOPE SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD, CECIL'S ONLINE AUXILIARY. Lovely, eh? The hippo population on the Luangwa River is currently the largest in the world. Many people perceive them as being docile, fat, lazy and slow when in fact they account for more human fatalities in Africa than any other animal. In Africa, the Big Five game animals are the lion, leopard, rhinoceros (both south-central black and southern white species), elephant, and Cape buffalo. Hippos are the most dangerous of all the big animals. It is estimated that these semi-aquatic animals spend up to 16 hours a day in the water, where they mate, give birth and feed their young. We hear "fat and bald," we think "affable, jolly and placid." Rural villagers who live near rivers are most as risk as they share the same paths down to and along the river banks as hippos. The hippo, found today throughout sub-Saharan Africa, is considered by many experts, explorers and Africans to be the most dangerous animal in Africa (not counting the mosquito). Hippos once had a broader distribution but now live in eastern central and southern sub-Saharan Africa, where their populations are in decline. 90% of our business is through client referral and repeat business. Sign up for the Although its size makes it fearsome looking, the hippo is often one of the most underrated animals in Africa in terms of its fearless and potentially bad-tempered nature. Hippos spend most of their days in rivers and lakes, where they feed on aquatic plants. Tambako the Jaguar / Getty Images. Yes are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa … the are given that title as they kill more humans than lions and hyenas and all of the rest ! African Lion. In fact, around 20 percent of the world’s surviving hippos are found in this single river — a remarkable conservation achievement by Zambia. Could you expose the hidden side of this otherwise goofy looking animal? Lions usually hunt easier targets, and it's rare to see them attack bigger prey.Hippos are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, and one of the most aggressive in the world. They may look like pigs or rhinos, but their closest relative is the whale. The Singapore zoo has them, though, with a viewing window on the underwater part of the tank. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. I’ve read descriptions of their ground-rumbling charges–bellowing loudly, swinging their heads like giant sledgehammers, the massive open mouth with slashing teeth and I’m thinking, "This little safari is taking a bit of a bad turn, Elliot.". They feed on the banks of the river, and if they sense danger will charge and attack whatever lies in their path in order to get back to the safety of the water. On the contrary, our first-hand expertise will add tremendous value to your trip and the partnerships we’ve developed over many years provide you with the best price guarantees. They’ve all killed way more people than Africa’s lions have. The hippopotamus is among the most dangerous animals in the world as it is highly aggressive and unpredictable. Spend 2 nights at the Ngorongoro Crater before …/, Located in the forested slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater, Gibb’s Farm overlooks the centuries-old Great Rift Valley. We love Africa and are passionate promoters of sustainable tourism that conserves animal kingdoms and uplifts communities. All considered the hippo to be a wantonly malicious beast. If you are on a walking or canoeing safari, listen and adhere to your guide’s safety instructions. Randumb Fact #10: The hippopotamus is considered to be the most dangerous animal in Africa. Dogs – 35,000 deaths a year 14 Dogs can spread rabies through scratching and biting. Their teeth are so large, in fact, that they require large cavities in their head to be able to house them. She really is amazingly graceful until she lifts that little tail and lets it blow. Due to their specific gravity they can even walk and run underwater along the river floor and can even sleep underwater! The IUCN estimates that around 25,000 hippopotamus are living in the Luangwa River and notes that there may be as many as 42 hippos per square kilometer on the river at its highest density. This is, in fact, their natural sunscreen that protects their hides from the harsh African sun and also acts as an antiseptic. (Just remember that we respect your privacy and will never share your information with anyone! And so this month we thought we’d shed some light on hippos, explain why they are so dangerous and point out a few other fascinating facts. Hippos have long been popular zoo animals. Mosquito-borne diseases are a great nuisance in Africa. Hippos kill more humans annually than lions, crocodiles, or snakes. 46 Main Road, Claremont 7735 But is this a rare reservoir … You might be surprised to learn that one of the most dangerous animals in the animal kingdom is actually the hippopotamus! August 16, 2018. Hippos are statistically the most dangerous animals in Africa, but in Zimbabwe they are second to lions in attacks on humans. A STAFF REPORT FROM THE STRAIGHT DOPE SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD. In one day, they generally consume about 50 kilograms of vegetation – which, when you consider how large they are, really isn’t that excessive. Male hippos actively defend their territories which run along the banks of rivers and lakes. The first record of hippos on captivity for display are dated to 3500 BC, in Hierakonpolis, Egypt. Interestingly, hippos eat by themselves because in the hippo community; eating is private. This animal, which has an average weight of about 7,000 pounds, is responsible for 3,000 human deaths every year, according to the African Wildlife Foundation. While hippos are land-dwelling mammals, their closest relative is not what you’d expect. And yes because they are territorial , as in they spend enormous amounts of time in the water but are grass eaters and if a human or anything else gets between where they are on land and eating grass , and the water which is their refuge ! Africa isn’t the only place where dangerous wildlife encounters happen. But notwithstanding Hyacinth, the hippo in Fantasia, Hippopotamus amphibius is as mean as a viper and a filthy pig besides. Our offices in New York and Cape Town offer clients a convenient point of contact on both ends of your trip. Hippopotamuses make their home on the banks of rivers or lakes and spend most of their days lolling about in or around the water. The name hippopotamus literally means "river horse" from the Greek (hippos=horse and potamus=river)–quite the euphemism compared to the more accurate Latin Gandulid lagoonus vicioso, or "vicious pond slob" (okay, I made that up). It is the third largest mammal on earth and causes more human deaths in Africa annually than lions, leopards, crocodiles, or any other of … People often see them as being evil creatures, and are sometimes associated with… newsletter, www.namibian.com.na/2000/October/africa/00AC8AC795.html, www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_011.html. That’s right, hippos are one of the most dangerous animals in the world and are the most dangerous animal on the African continent. In 2015, 90% of the worldwide … Dec. 5, 2017 - Tourists in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, witnessed an unusual sight—a pride of lions attempting to take down a hippo. They are massive creatures but don’t let this fool you into thinking they are slow. Perhaps this is why they are so adept in the water. Be warned, they are faster than you and will attack. Tell us about your travel plans in the form below and one of our expert consultants will get right back to you. Service animals, emotional support animals, therapy animals — how are they different. Both are located on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River, set in one of the most untouched and achingly beautiful wilderness areas in…, The Addo Elephant National Park is the third largest national park in South Africa, and lies roughly one hour’s drive from the small port city of Port Elizabeth, in the coastal province of the Eastern Cape of the country. Where Are Hippos Found Hippos weigh up to 8000 pounds and can gallop at 18 m.p.h.–a lot faster than you, I bet. But did you know that they are, in fact, well-known as the Most Dangerous Animal in Africa? What happens to birds during a hurricane? There’s an entire myth around hyenas. When animals disappear, how are humans affected? Male hippos are tasked with guarding the riverbank and defending their homes from any animal or person who threatens it. The first zoo hippo in modern history was Obaysch, who arrived at the London Zoo on 25 May 1850, where he attracted up to 10,000 visitors a day and inspired a popular song, the "Hippopotamus Polka". The hippopotamus kills more humans than any other animal in Africa. Bull hippos are the only ones that stand their ground against lions, and this bull wants them gone. It was originally thought that hippos bled from their skin because of the red skin oil residue in the water surrounding them. “They think you can only have a relationship with dogs, cats and domestic animals,” Els said at the time. It comes as no surprise, then, that most human fatalities occur on a riverbank that belonged to a hippo. Hippo Behaviour Hippos are known to readily attack when they are wounded or threatened in the wild. If you are camping out in the open, always make sure you have something covering you even if it's just a mosquito net. Send questions to Cecil via cecil@straightdope.com. The hippopotamus is one of Africa’s most loved and popular animals, along with the giraffe, elephant, zebra and lion. You will never see a group of hippos moving and grazing as one, but rather individual hippos munching on their own patches of grass at night. A bull hippo turned over the dugout canoe from which Tyron was shooting, and bit off his head and shoulders. I was thrilled to be assigned the trip to beautiful Zambia to scope out two Lower Zambezi lodges for Southern Destinations: Kasaka and Chongwe River Lodge. Their enormous jaws are studded with spike-like teeth that can measure up to 20 inches and have been known to cause great damage. Lions and tigers attacking people make sense, being meat eaters, but what do hippos do? Many human deaths occur because male hippos aggressively defend a given territory from predators. Hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) While hippopotamuses rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land. THOUGH THE SDSAB DOES ITS BEST, THESE COLUMNS ARE EDITED BY ED ZOTTI, NOT CECIL, SO ACCURACYWISE YOU'D BETTER KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED. See more ideas about Hippo, Mammals, Animals. It is malaria-free and therefore a great safari destination for  families.…, I was recently invited to the opening of an artist friend’s exhibition in Franschhoek. The hippo is extremely aggressive, unpredictable and unafraid of humans, upsetting boats sometimes without provocation and chomping the occupants with its huge canine teeth and sharp incisors. Subscribe to our newsletter for regular travel inspiration. All … As for anyone embarking on an African safari, these gigantic and fascinating mammals are best appreciated from afar. Ironically, hippos are vegetarian but this hasn’t stopped them from regularly biting crocodiles in half. In July 2016, a 57-year-old woman and her daughter were attacked by a tiger at a wildlife park in Beijing . They are considered to be the most dangerous animal in South Africa and responsible for many human deaths and injuries. At birth, hippos weigh about 45 kilograms and grow to reach weights of around 2 to 3 tonnes. But no one ever mentions what they do to kill so many people. Being Africa’s Most Dangerous Animal is however not the only fascinating fact about these massive mammals. (Oliver Strewe /LPI) Being Africa’s Most Dangerous Animal is however not the only fascinating fact about these massive mammals. The hippo can be extremely aggressive, and is responsible for more human fatalities in Africa than any other large animal. They have been known to reach overland speeds of up to 32 kilometres per hour and can easily outrun any human. Mosquito. Without question one of the most famous National Parks in the world, the Kruger National Park is the pride of South Africa and her people. Classic East Africa Migration Safari Circuit, Family Safari Fun – Mala Mala to the Kalahari, Marty & Patti’s Epic 47 Day Journey Through East Africa, Falling in Love With Zambia’s Lower Zambezi. The 9 Most Dangerous Animals in Africa. But many Africans regard hippos as the continent’s most dangerous animal. Posted on November 16, 2012 I never really found hippopotamuses to be a grave threat. They were attacking boatmen, beating up cows and ripping up rice fields. Booking with us won’t cost you more. This is where their name comes from – the Greeks named them ‘river horse.’. Cecil described this hippo habit in his diatribe against spraying cats in www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_011.html: "The hippopotamus, for instance, is said to mark jungle trails by excreting a lethal mixture of urine and feces while twirling its tail like a propeller. However hippos are extremely difficult to catch and it was deemed too dangerous and impractical to move them from the ranch. In March this year, a man was killed while trying to take a selfie with a hippopotamus in western Zimbabwe. They can even hold their breath for as long as 30 minutes at a time! The herds of "marauding herbivores" had been chased out of Mali already and spilled into Niger, behaving worse than drunken soccer fans. Hippos :The hippopotamus is considered the world's deadliest large land mammal.These are as dangerous mean as the hippos land animals are either in such that always be dangers for other animals.Meanwhile it is as considered to be more dangerous and … The hippo, found today throughout sub-Saharan Africa, is considered by many experts, explorers and Africans to be the most dangerous animal in Africa (not counting the mosquito). Hippos sleep or lounge around on river banks and in the water most of the day and graze on the grasslands at night. Their skin secretes a sticky pinkish oil that helps protect them from the sun and maybe from infection, too. This may explain the historically sluggish market for pet hippopotamuses.". Most of ’em have lots of wounds and scars (the males commonly beat the living crap out of each other, too), and seeing as they’re sitting in a shithole all day–see below–you wonder why infection isn’t more of problem for them. Crocodiles and cape buffaloes are badasses, too, but nobody seems to have kept an actual body count for any of these species and they don’t have belts to notch. Nile Crocodile. Jan 25, 2020 - hippos are large mammals that are native to Africa and are one of Africa's most dangerous animals and kill.more people than lions crocodiles buffalo elephants rhinos and venomous snakes hippos are mostly herbivores but can be omnivores the word hippo in Greek means "water horse" but are related to.whales and.dolphins. Even pygmy hippos weigh 350 to 600 pounds. Black Mamba. Hippos are herbivores and consume a massive amount of vegetation. From "The Dangerous Hippo," Science Digest, LXXVI (November, 1974), 80-86, by George W. Frame and Lory Herbison Frame: Nearly all of the famous African explorers and hunters–Livingstone, Stanley, Burton, Selous, Speke, DuChaillu–had boating mishaps with hippos. They blow crap mixed with urine all over the place to humiliate their hippo rivals and inferiors and mark the territory around their watering hole, swishing their little tails to be sure to get plenty of coverage at nose level. It was originally thought that hippos bled from their skin because of the red skin oil residue in the water surrounding them. They are the third-largest land animal in the world, behind the elephant and the rhinoceros, weighing up to 9,000 pounds. They’re more agile than they look and can climb steep banks, but, like elephants, they can’t jump. Hippos are considered to be one of the most dangerous animals in Africa due to their unpredictability. The hippo is world's largest, angriest animal. The fact that humans also need to make use of the river (to collect water or to do washing in some areas) means that they have to be extra cautious of hippos, especially in the early evening when they are coming back onto land to grase. The Hippos is responsible for more human fatalities than any other large animal. The term was coined by big-game hunters, and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot, but is now also widely used by safari tour operators.. In reality, hippos are mean and aggressive, killing more people in Africa than any other animal. Can You Guarantee That We’ll See Elephants In Addo National Park? Hippos defecate copious amounts into the rivers and ponds in which they wallow all day and also partake of a charming ritual described by hippo experts as "dung showering." They are also amongst the largest animals in the world; only elephants, whales and rhinos being larger. Crocodiles and cape buffaloes are badasses, too, but nobody seems to have kept an actual body count for any of these species and they don’t have belts to notch. (A few rogue tigers have killed a lot of people too, but they live in India, not Africa.) Not long ago Spencer Tyron, a white hunter, was killed while hunting near the shores of Lake Rukwa, Tanzania. Although they primarily only eat plants—munching on about 80 pounds of grass each day—hippos are one of the most aggressive animals on Earth. Females are tasked with protecting the youngsters and will attack anything that comes close to them – threatening or not. They can easily capsize a canoe or boat and caution should be taken not to approach them too closely when you are on a boating trip. 15 Most dangerous animals in Africa Some of them might look cute and cuddly, but in fact could kill you in mere seconds. Black Rhino. Does the head remain briefly conscious after decapitation (revisited)? They are also social animals and are usually found in a pod ranging from around 5-20 individuals. This is in part due to their deceptively ‘cute’ appearance, and the fact that these enormous grunting fellows are extremely aggressive and unpredictable. Keep reading to find out why. Two-ton hippos are quite capable of killing a lion. Both male and female hippos are enormously territorial. … The hippo is responsible for more human fatalities in Africa than any other large animal. African Elephant. We will respect your privacy and never show your information.
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