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(#1) Hippos Are One Of The Most Dangerous Land Animals In The World
Hippos are one of the most dangerous animals in all of Africa. They are estimated to slay around 3,000 people each year. One such casualty of a hippo aggression was a grandmother from Michigan. She was on an African safari when she was mauled by a hippo.
One of the worst cases of hippos ambushing humans was in 2014, when 12 children and an adult perished when a hippopotamus overturned a boat near Niger's capital, Niamey.
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(#10) Hippos Are So Aggressive, Crocodiles Are Afraid Of Them
Hippos are so aggressive that even the most vicious meat-eaters are terrified. Crocodiles have been known to eat hippos on occasion, but only if they're absolutely desperate. If food is dire, crocodiles may nab a baby hippo with extreme caution. Unfortunately for the hungry croc, hippo moms are so territorial, it is fairly lethal to move on a their young. Generally, crocs steer clear.
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(#4) Hippos Are Sometimes Cannibals
When you think about animals that are so vicious they would eat their own, hippos don't usually come to mind. But rest assured, hippos can be just as cold.
In 1999, the first ever hippo cannibalism was witnessed in the Shire River of Malawi. A group of vicious crocodiles were dining on a hippo when scientists spotted another hippo among the hunters. There's something unsettling about seeing a species feast on their own kind.
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(#6) Hippos Can Weigh More Than A Car
It's hard to tell the true size and strength of a hippopotamus if you're looking at it from a zoo enclosure. Typically, the average adult hippo weighs between 3,500 and 4,500 pounds. For reference, the average new car weighs around 4,000 pounds. Since hippos can charge at 20mph, an onslaught would be like getting hit by a car that has teeth. It has also been observed that a dominant male hippo of a pod is significantly heavier - they can weigh over 6,000 pounds.
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(#2) Hippo Are Horrifically Vicious
Hippos don't just ambush - they absolutely destroy.
In 2013, Paul Templer, a tour guide of Africa, nearly succumbed to an aggressive hippo. "The bull simply went berserk, throwing me into the air and catching me again, shaking me like a dog with a doll," he told The Guardian. Templer had over 40 puncture marks and bite marks all over his body after the incident. Thankfully, he made it out alive. But there have been plenty of others who haven't been as lucky.
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(#3) One Lone Hippo Can Fight Off An Entire Pride Of Lions
Don't ever underestimate the strength of a hippo - they're the tank of the animal kingdom. Even lions know that they can't take down a hippo one-on-one. In fact, a single hippo can have the power to fend off an entire pride of lions. The Daily Mail reports that in 2014, a giant hippo took on a pride of lions when they tried to make him a meal.
The four lionesses chased the hippo into a ditch, but he didn't succumb to their vicious bites. Instead, the big guy showed his teeth and shook off the lions like they were nothing. He frightened them so much that they ended up running away. But instead of letting them go, the hippo started to chase them. That little extra step just proves that hippos are heinously vicious.
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Hippos look stupid and honest, but they are irritable and have a strong sense of territory. When other species break into their territory, they will use their fangs to launch deadly attacks. There are dozens of people in Africa every year who were killed by hippos when they approached the water. The hippos are dangerous with the largest mouth on land, and the bite force of an adult hippo can reach more than 1 ton.
Hippo is the largest omnivorous mammals in freshwater species, but they are also one of the most dangerous large animals. The random tool introduced 11 details about hippos that can prove they are more dangerous than people's imagination.
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