Hippopotamus amphibious is one of the most remarkable animals in Africa.

The hippo is an aquatic mammal and thrives in the rivers and dams in Africa. They do everything in the water except eat and breathe and are extremely territorial, especially the males because they compete for the best dams and spaces in the rivers. Unfortunately, humans are repopulating the natural habitats of these big animals that they are battling to keep their natural habitats.

Hippos can hold their breath for up to six minutes under the water. They also cannot swim; they walk at the bottom of the dam or river and just resurface to breathe and they are also one of the few animals that have buoyancy control. In other words, they can move their diaphragm up and down in order to distinguish which body part they want to expose.

Due to their anatomy and their way of life, surprisingly, the closest relative to this majestic creature is the whale. I hope that these interesting facts will bring people to ask more questions about the Hippopotamus.

Pieter – Kapama River Lodge
21/08/2012