The hippo comes third after the elephant and the rhino in terms of size. An adult can weigh between 1500-1800kg, with a height of about 1.5m above the ground and it is closely related to the dolphins. These are a great animal to see on your Safari in Uganda. They have no sweat gland and in order to cool their temperature, they spend most of their time under water although they can’t swim probably because of their weight. They have those large nostrils and are often seen opening their jaw very wide to take is subsequent amount of oxygen which it needs when they go back under water.
Despite the weight, hippos can run at a speed of 30/40 km per hour. Hippos are very common in sub Saharan Africa and it one of the two existing species in the hippopotamidae family.
What they feed on
Hippos are herbivores’ therefore they feed mostly on grass but they also consume meat, they qualify to be omnivorous mammals. They usually graze in the night when the weather is cool enough and they can consume about 68kg aft covering a distance of about 8km in just one night. They eat variety nutritious vegetation why explains it long life span of about 40 to 50 years. They stop showing physical growth at 25 years.
How they relate with each other and to human
Hippos are often seen in groups which are called pods and they are usually composed of mainly the females and the little one which are called calves, just like the mothers are called cows and the males called bulls as the case is with the cattle.
Hippos are very aggressive animals and are among the most dangerous animals to man despite the fact that they herbivores therefore supposed to mean no harm to people. They cause a high number of deaths especially to people that use the water so much like the sailors who use small boats, swimmers and fishermen. They are also very destructive animals, if they land in some one’s garden, they can eat almost everything since they eat a lot and destruct the entire garden and this is why so many people hunt and kill them.
However, the only time hippos attack other animals when a territorial bull is protecting territories which they mark by dropping faeces or a female protecting it’s young ones. While they co-exist with so many predators like lions, hyenas and also the Nile crocodiles, they can never attack a grown hippo and so they prey on the young hippos.
Maturity and reproduction
Female hippos are mature enough conceive at about 5 to 6 years of age although they may start their puberty as early as 3 or 4 years young and once they conceive, they will have a gestation period of 8 months almost like the humans. The males are ready for reproduction at 71/2 years.
Hippos mate and give birth from water, giving birth to a single a calf at a time but just like the humans, sometimes twins are born. They are ride on their mothers’ backs when the water is deep and suckle when they get on land but if they are big enough to swim under water, they do suckle from under the water. The mother starts the weaning process at 6 or 8 months after birth and at that time, they are ready to graze.
Where to found them in Uganda
A Uganda wildlife safari is the perfect opportunity for everyone to watch lots of hippos. You can visit national parks like Queen Elizabeth and be sure that you will see plenty of hippo along the banks of Kazinga channel during you boat ride.
In Murchison fall national park, a boat ride can be done along the Victoria Nile which takes you to the bottom of the falls. Along the ride, you will be able to see as many hippos as possible with their mouth open, some you may only see the back towards the river banks.
In Lake Mburo national park, there are plenty of them in Lake Mburo and in Semuliki national park; you can always go for a boat ride on Lake Albert if you wish to see some hippos during you visit to Semliki. Hippos are among the must see animals while on your Uganda safari among so many others.
