The Hippo Pool at Serengeti

Hippo with croc in background

We have managed a few glimpses of these incredible creatures but for the most part it has mostly been eyes, ears and an occasional mouth that has surfaced above the water.  However, all that was about to change on the morning of our last Serengeti game drive.  Martin and the guides Safari and Emmanuelle) kept it fairly quiet.  I suspect they wanted to see our faces as they knew what treat lay in store.

Heading for the water

They parked the jeeps and casually invited us to get out and stretch our legs.  It might be worth wandering down to the water, they suggested.  Wow! It certainly was.  It’s hard to estimate exactly but I reckon that  this Hippo Pool contained at least 50 prize specimens.  Some were in the water, but others were lumbering around; still feeding on the grass nearby. It was an incredible sight. There were even a couple of crocodiles!

Jaw-locking or Kissing?

We saw rolling hippos and jaw locking hippos in the water. There was also a bit of fighting and posturing between two rival gangs in one favoured area near the bank.  We spent a happy 20 minutes watching the Hippo equivalent of Coronation Street. Absolutely brilliant!

Cautious steps as rival hippos look on

Some Interesting Facts About Hippos

Hippos are the animals that kill most humans in Africa

They do not eat fish – they are herbivores. They come out of the water at night and can roam for up to 50 miles feeding on leaves and grass.

They cant actually swim.  Instead they run along the riverbed very quickly

They can hold their breathe under water for a long time.

Hippos can run at speeds up up to 15mph, with spurts of up to 30 mph.