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When I went on safari recently in Tanzania, one of the animals that I wanted to see most was the hippopotamus. I saw several in the Serengeti, but it was in Ngorongoro Crater that I really got my hippo fix. Not only did I see these fat noisy animals wallowing in the water, but I even saw several out walking around during the day and grazing on the lush green grass near their pools.
Hippos are actually the most dangerous animal in Africa and kill more people than anything else due to their aggressive nature. It was to my surprise that when we got to this particular hippo pool, we were actually allowed to get out of our vehicles and watch the hippos from the bank. Apparently they are most dangerous when they are out of the water, particularly if you get between them and their pool.
It was incredible for me to sit and watch these amazing animals swimming and wallowing around in the water, usually with just the tops of their heads sticking out and keeping an eye on all of us. They seemed quite calm and to not care at all about us being there, and they just went about their noisy business.
Below is a panorama that I took of this particular hippo pool. You can just see the tops of their heads sticking out of the water, and the crater rim is in the background with a ring of cloud clinging to it’s top.
I now know that a hypo is a potentially a killer animal than a Lion. this is the second post about hypo which confirmed such label. I thought hypos are gentle giants haha. I am dead wrong.
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They certainly look like gentle giants, but they are very grumpy and aggressive. Still, I find hippos fascinating 🙂
Beautiful photo! I just won’t think about how deadly hippos are while I enjoy the panorama
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Thanks Brock. I just had to trust my guide and know that I was safe when I was there. They know what they are talking about 🙂
What an amazing scene. Africa is simply breathtaking.
Hi Colleen. Africa continued to take my breathe away with each day that I spent there. It’s just one of those places 🙂
Look at the clouds and the waters, the place is simply breathtaking.
Indeed it is Jenny
I would be so excited (and also terrified) to see a hippo in the wild…. they are such amazing creatures!
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I had a similar feeling Jade. I was so excited about seeing them, but I knew how dangerous they are. Once I saw one however, I really never felt in any danger.
Doesn’t look like a crater at first glance. So cool. Cool ring cloud shot too!
Hi Yohan. It’s definitely hard to make out that it is a crater from the photo. You really have to be there to see it as the crater is around 300 square kilometers.
I saw a hippo up close in Nepal, but I remember wishing that I wouldn’t see one because our guide kept freaking us out about how much they could hurt us. 🙂
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In Nepal? Hippos are only in Africa, so I’m guessing you saw a Rhino ;). I saw a mother and baby in Chitwan in Nepal. That was a really amazing experience!
Hey Dean! This is one great shot. I’m checking your other photos. They’re impressive and I think I’ll continue taking photos.
Thanks Alan. Glad you like the photo
Hippos are aggressive and are considered very dangerous. They have large teeth and tusks that they use for fighting off threats.