Flusspferde, mehr als niedliche Hippos

Hippos – more than just cute giants

Many animals here in Tanzania are incredibly graceful, and you can tell right away how and with what weapons they can defend themselves. But with hippos, it’s completely different. They simply appear clumsy and sluggish, and despite their massive tusks, they look rather harmless. But don’t let appearances fool you! They are actually among the most dangerous animals here in Tanzania and across Africa. They aren’t sluggish either—in fact, they can reach speeds of up to 30 km/h. So, watch out!

A hippo on the meadow

Hippos and water—they are simply inseparable. Sure, the name says it all. But how did that play out inside the Ngorongoro Crater?

In the distance, far away from the lake, right in the middle of the green grass, there was a hippo. Honestly, I wouldn’t have spotted it if Elly hadn’t pointed it out to us. It’s actually quite unusual for them to be lying out in the middle of the crater just grazing. But that hippo surely knew exactly why it was there.

That was the very first hippo we got to see on this trip. But there was definitely more to come—at least that’s what Elly assured us.

Hippos chilling out

Chilling is a core part of a hippo’s daily routine. Chilling by day, foraging by night. That’s just how they roll.

And so they lie all together, family groups or not, packed tightly side by side, just chilling. Every now and then, there’s some farting, a wag of a tail, and then they submerge again.

The tiny hippo calves lie close to their mothers, cuddling, diving under, and popping back up. When they resurface, only their heads peek out. Above the water, it’s just the head, ears twitching, nostrils snorting, and that little tail wagging. Chilling, yawning, and diving. Completely calm, utterly relaxed, cute to look at, and yet incredibly dangerous. That’s them—the hippos!

Hippos in the mud hole

We encountered our next hippos in the Ndutu region.

The riverbed of a branch leading to Lake Ndutu had already dried up for the most part. The waterbirds and other animals had already moved on.

Right in the middle of this arid landscape, there was one tiny remaining mud pool, and huddled inside this puddle were two hippos. These two hippos were completely caked in thick, sticky mud. The scorching sun beating down from above, and two hippos down below. What happens when that mud puddle disappears tomorrow too? Where will they go next? Most likely to Lake Ndutu itself or its remaining tributaries.

A hippo, the cool water, and hundreds of zebras

Right in the middle of the savanna, there was a large watering hole, and the zebras were thirsty. Hundreds of zebras, huge clouds of dust, and a long wait for the zebras at the water’s edge.

„You go first and check if the water is okay!“

That’s pretty much what every single zebra seemed to be thinking. One zebra after another attempted to step into the water, took a few paces forward, and then scrambled right back. Eventually, it dawned on the zebras: „There’s only that single hippo in here!“ So, they finally managed to drink and move on. Meanwhile, the hippo was just chilling, thoroughly enjoying the cool water. And then came a truly unique moment: the hippo did a full roll in the water, dove under, and stretched its legs straight up into the air.

It looked exactly like that classic children’s song, just Hippo-style:

All my little hippos, splashing in the lake, heads in the water, little legs in the air…

It certainly was a hilarious sight to behold!