Tanzania is home to some of the most fascinating wildlife in the world, and among its most renowned homeowners are the hippopotamuses. These enormous, semi-aquatic mammals control the waterways of Tanzania’s lakes and rivers, playing an essential role in the environment.
Let’s dive into the world of hippos and uncover some interesting truths about these heavyweight champs of Africa we learned while on safari in Tanzania.
The Basics: What is a Hippopotamus?
Picture Credit: Jenn Coleman. Hippopotamuses (amphibius) are large, primarily herbivorous mammals that spend much of their time in the water. Regardless of their large size, they are
surprisingly nimble swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for numerous minutes.
Weighing between 3,000 and 4,000 pounds, hippos are one of the
largest land animals in Africa. Where to Discover Hippos in Tanzania Picture Credit: Jenn Coleman. Tanzania is
the Selous Game Reserve Lake Manyara National Park Katavi National Forest, where large pods of hippos gather in dwindling dry-season waterholes We initially saw hippos in the Ngorongoro Crater, but our preferred encounters remained in Serengeti National Forest. We invested a whole afternoon enjoying hippos romp in the Grumeti River and saw all their charming and idiomatic habits.
Water-Loving but Not Marine
Image Credit: Jenn Coleman. Hippos invest most of their day submerged in water, but they are not really water animals. They depend on water to keep their skin cool and hydrated however come onto land during the night to
graze. Their bodies are perfectly adapted for a semi-aquatic way of life, with eyes, ears, and nostrils positioned on top of their heads, permitting them to remain mainly immersed while keeping watch. We got here late at the town of Seronera in main Serengeti. There isn’t much to the town besides a gasoline station, airstrip, and welcome center, but beyond town were a number of catchponds filled with hippos. We got to see the hippos leaving these ponds to go foraging as the last rays of the sun dipped below the horizon.
Remarkably Quick and Agile
Picture Credit: Jenn Coleman. In spite of their bulky appearance, hippos are exceptionally fast. On land, they can perform at speeds of up
to 19 miles per hour for short ranges. In water, they move with dignity by pushing off the riverbed rather than swimming. Their unforeseen speed makes them more dangerous than they appear. We heard how elegant hippos were and kept waiting on them to flaunt their abilities. Instead of ballerinas, they were more like teenage young boys playing at the swimming pool– a little too loud and splashy with an amusing smell.
Hippo Social Life
Image Credit: Jenn Coleman. Hippos are social animals living in groups called pods or bloats, generally consisting of 10 to 30 individuals. These groups are led by a dominant male who strongly defends his area from competing males. We thought of hippos would spend their days peacefully relaxing like they do at the zoo. In the wild, hippos participate in frequent skirmishes, using their massive jaws to assert dominance.
The swimming pool was always in movement, with someone triggering a
commotion. The Deadliest Mammal in Africa< img width="1024
“height =”683″alt =”Close up of hippo bearing it’s teeth-Serengeti National forest Tanzania Africa “src =”image/svg+xml; nitro-empty-id =MTI1MDoxNDY1-1; base64, PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTAyNCA2ODMiIHdpZHRoPSIxMDI0IiBoZWlnaHQ9IjY4MyIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj48L3N2Zz4=”/ > Image Credit: Jenn Coleman. Hippos might look docile, however they are responsible for more human casualties in
Africa than lions or crocodiles 
. They are highly territorial and will not hesitate to charge anything they perceive as a danger. Their big dogs, which can mature to 20 inches long, are utilized in battles and for self-defense instead of for consuming. Evening Grazers Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman. Hippos feed primarily on turf, taking in approximately 80 pounds per night. They leave their watery homes after sunset to forage and can take a trip a number of miles looking for food.
In spite of their enormous size, they have a reasonably basic diet plan, consisting mainly of short turfs. We asked our guide how there might be so much plant life in a swimming pool filled with massive herbivores. He stated that they prefer grass and would rarely, if ever, eat the aquatic plants.
Hippos and the Community
Picture Credit: Jenn Coleman. These animals play a vital function in their ecosystem. Their dung fertilizes marine plants and offers food for fish, while their consistent movement stimulates the riverbeds, preserving the balance of the water environment. Without hippos, much of Tanzania’s freshwater systems would operate extremely differently. Hippos’Distinct Restroom Routine Picture Credit: Jenn Coleman. Among the most entertaining and unusual habits of hippos is how they utilize their tails like a spinning prop while defecating. This act spreads their dung far and wide, serving multiple functions. It marks their area, communicates with other hippos, and even assists fertilize water environments.
We were fortunate to witness the hippo’s signature poop-flinging move and understand why they are the indisputable champions of messy but reliable ecological contributions! It was so charming therefore gross at the very same time.
Child Hippos: Born in Water
Picture Credit: Jenn Coleman. After an eight-month pregnancy, a female hippo brings to life a single calf, typically in the water. Child hippos can nurse underwater, closing their nostrils and ears to
avoid water from getting in. From birth, they stay near to their moms for defense, as crocodiles and lions sometimes target them. We have seen newborn hippos at the San Diego Zoo, and they were the cutest things ever. We only saw teen hippos in the wild, but they were still quite darn charming.
Preservation Issues
Image Credit: Jenn Coleman. While hippos are still reasonably typical in Tanzania, they deal with increasing dangers from environment destruction and illegal searching for their ivory-like teeth and meat. Conservation efforts concentrate on safeguarding their freshwater habitats and punishing poaching to make sure future generations can witness these extraordinary animals in the wild.
We heard a terrible story about the pygmy hippos on Mafia Island from the Kitu Kiblu Research Center biologists. The island utilized to have a small population of pygmy hippos, but they were almost hunted to extinction when the ivory costs soared. Today, only a few stay, and they are understandably shy of people.
Hippos are More Than Meets the Eye
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman. Hippos may seem like sleepy river-dwellers, however they are amongst the most remarkable and formidable animals in Tanzania. Whether you’re enjoying them bask in the sun, seeing a territorial clash, or listening to their deep grunts echoing throughout the water, encountering hippos in the wild while on safari is an unforgettable experience. Their survival is crucial to the health of Tanzania’s waterways, making them a crucial part of the African landscape.
Hi! We are Jenn and Ed Coleman aka Coleman Concierge. In a nutshell, we are a Huntsville-based Gen X couple sharing our stories of incredible experiences through activity-driven transformational and experiential travel.