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Hippos have long been popular zoo animals. The first record of hippos taken into captivity for display is dated to 3500 BC in Hierakonpolis, Egypt. [106] 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 ...
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The hippopotamus, or hippo, is native to sub-Saharan Africa and is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal. The name hippopotamus comes from an ancient Greek word that translates to mean ‘river horse’ and the hippo is the third-largest land mammal following the elephant and rhinoceros.
1. Hippos are the deadliest large land animal on the planet
The Hippopotamus is one of the most dangerous animals in the world, killing an estimated 500 people a year in Africa. They are extremely aggressive, unpredictable, have sharp teeth and can crush a human or predator to death with relative ease due to their size. In one 2014 case in Niger, a boat was capsized by a hippo and 13 people were killed. 1
2. Hippos love the water!
The hippopotamus is a semi-aquatic mammal. This means that even though they’re a mammal like humans, dogs, cats, and other similar species, they spend a majority of their life in the water. Their historic habitat even included the Nile River. They love the water so much that the Greeks had named them river horses! However, they only spend their days in the water. By night, they’re on the land and grazing for up to 6 hours.
3. There’s only one wild herd famous outside of Africa…
And it has its roots entangled with Pablo Escobar! During his time, Escobar ran a private zoo which featured hippopotamuses. After he left, however, they escaped into the wild and continued to thrive in Colombia, where they are now part of a herd of at least 80. Since the hippo is an invasive species in this area that could damage the river ecosystems and native wildlife, there are now efforts to help reduce their ability to reproduce, providing a more humane way to halt the growth of the her...
Scientific Classification
1. AFP. “Hippopotamus attack kills 13 people, including 12 children, in boat near Niger’s capital Niamey” ABC News. November 19, 2014. 2. Weisburger, Mindy. “Pablo Escobar’s ‘cocaine hippos’ are being sterilized because the population is out of control.” Live Science. October 21, 2021. 3. Berkovitz, Barry K.B. “Tusks and Ivory” in Nothing but a Tooth. 2013. 4. Moustafa M Haddara et al. “Hippopotamus bite morbidity: a report of 11 cases from Burundi“. National Library of Medicine. August 10th,...
- Rivers, lakes & mangrove swamps
- sub-Saharan Africa, Colombia
- 40-50 years
- 13-18 ft (4 to 5.5 m)
Oct 8, 2024 · The hippopotamus has a bulky body on stumpy legs, an enormous head, a short tail, and four toes on each foot. Each toe has a nail-like hoof. Males are usually 3.5 metres (11.5 feet) long, stand 1.5 metres (5 feet) tall, and weigh 3,200 kg (3.5 tons).
Mar 10, 2011 · Hippopotamuses are large, semiaquatic mammals native to sub-Saharan Africa. Although their name comes from the Greek for “ river horse ”—because of the time they spend in the water—their ...
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Common Hippo. Common hippopotamus, Hippo, Hippopotamus, River hippopotamus. The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the Pygmy hippopotamus. Its name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse".
Hippopotamus. Hippopotamuses are large mammals found in sub-Saharan Africa. Their name comes from the Greek word for “river horse” because they're often found in water, which helps them stay cool in the hot, tropical climate where they live. The hippo's nose, ears, and eyes are on the top of its head, and they protrude from the water while ...
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Aug 16, 2023 · 10 Incredible Hippopotamus Facts. The hippopotamus is a semiaquatic mammal. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa and is the largest land mammal in the world, weighing between 2,200 and 9,900 pounds. This equals 1 to 4.5 tonnes. This mammal inhabits lakes, rivers, and mangrove swamps. The hippopotamus, alongside the pygmy hippopotamus (a small ...
