Hippopotamus

Description:

Unmistakable amphibious animal, second in weight only to elephant. Massive and rounded body, bulbous, with short legs and large head that broadens at the muzzle. The hippo has no fur, except few bristles on tail and head. Eyes and ears are small and placed high on the head, allowing the animal to submerge itself almost completely. Incisor teeth are well developed and are refutable weapons, as they serve no purpose when feeding. In spite of short legs, the hippo is remarkable runner on short distances.

Habitat:

Hyppo is an amphibious animal, favoring rivers and swamps across much of East Africa. Here, observed during the daytime, totally submerged in waters of lake Chamo in southern Ethiopia, and cohabiting with a big group of Nile crocodiles.

Notes:

In lake Chamo area, we heard many stories of fishermen lives lost to hyppo attacks or due to close collaboration between crocos and hyppos... Many of these stories are local folklore, but the truth is that hyppo is a very aggressive animal, especially when defending his herd. I have found some statistics that say the hyppo is one of the biggest human killers in Africa... but it comes only in third position, a WAAAY behind men and mosquitoes.