Hippos live in the freshwater rivers and lakes of Africa and can be considered the most powerful species in the waterways of the dark continent. Even the notorious Nile crocodiles are often bullied by them. However, when hippos encounter lions, they become straw heroes and can be preyed upon by the lions. Why does this happen?
Hippos and Nile crocodiles are neighbors in the freshwater rivers and lakes across Africa, and hippos always bully crocodiles, even the giant ones. We often see hippos chasing crocodiles in wildlife documentaries. What’s more irritating is that hippos frequently interfere with the crocodiles’ hunting activities. Sometimes, when crocodiles are about to successfully attack zebras, wildebeests, or antelopes crossing the river, hippos dash in and cause a disturbance, allowing the prey to take advantage of the situation and escape. At times, hippos will guard the carcasses of their kind and prevent crocodiles from eating them.
However, the large mouth, massive teeth, and aggressive nature of hippos are ineffective when they encounter lions. In recent years, more and more hippos have been hunted and killed by lions. There have been documented cases in Masemala and Nabiro in Kenya, Kruger in South Africa, and the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
The fact that lions hunt hippos is not the strangest thing. What’s even stranger is that from images and videos, hippos hardly resist when they encounter lions. They either lie down or stand still, waiting for death.
Hippos are often attacked by lions on land. So why do they come ashore? In reality, although hippos live in water, they graze on the land, and they hardly consume aquatic vegetation. Therefore, they have to come ashore to find food. When food becomes scarce during the dry season, hippos may search for food up to 4 kilometers away from the riverbank.
If a hippo only lived in one water area, it would seek food around that area. If it lives in two water areas, it would choose to find food in the land between the two water areas. Strong sunlight during the day poses a significant threat to the hippos’ skin, so they prefer to rest underwater during the day and come ashore at night to find food.
Hippos have very different habits underwater and on land. When foraging on land, they go alone, going wherever there is food, and they don’t have a concept of territory when on land. Underwater during the day, they gather in groups ranging from a few individuals to 150, and at this time, they have a strong territorial defense. Both male and female hippos have their own territories, with males having larger territories.
Why do hippos only show territorial behavior underwater? This is because freshwater is crucial to hippos. Compared to other herbivorous animals, hippos have short intestines and no cecum – the part responsible for water reabsorption. Therefore, their water absorption efficiency is very low, and the water content in their feces can be as high as 90%, so they have to replenish water whenever possible. To secure a position in the water habitat, hippos are not hesitant to fight any creature, and their territorial instinct is particularly strong during the dry season. The territorial nature of hippos is also the origin of their ferocity.
Hippos lure and obstruct crocodiles due to their inherent territorial defense nature. In reality, hippos don’t have good intentions to rescue weak herbivores, nor do they have any emotions towards carcasses. They simply feel that the crocodile
