Together with a pod of hippos, the women watched helplessly as the attack unfolded.

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Friends notice ‘strange’ hippo behaviour
The women said they had noticed ‘strange’ behaviour from the hippos the day before they witnessed the incident. “There was a mother hippo with a very young calf amidst the pod of hippos. For safety, Mother hippos usually keep their babies away from the main pod, especially when they’re that tiny.”
A mother hippopotamus often separates herself from the herd along with her baby for a period ranging from a few days to about two weeks. During this time, she dedicates her attention to bonding with her calf.
They spend much of their time in the water, where the baby nurses while submerged. This period of isolation provides a safe and nurturing environment for the newborn, ensuring it gains strength and forms a secure attachment to its mother before rejoining the larger group.
However, this little one was among the larger pod and at great risk.

Little one targeted by aggressive male hippo
The friends say that when they returned to the hide by the dam the following day, there were other visitors there who expressed great concern. “It seemed like one of the hippos was acting aggressively towards the little one!”
“We quickly moved closer to see for ourselves, and out of nowhere, a male hippo grabbed the baby in his mouth. The big hippo then dunked it underwater, and flung it around, eventually throwing it onto another hippo’s back!”
They said that despite the constant onslaught, the baby hippo kept trying to escape, returning to its mom’s side every time.

It seemed the other hippos felt as helpless as the human observers in stopping the attack.
“That’s when the other hippos seemed to notice the commotion. They formed a half-moon shape around the scene, almost as if they were watching it all unfold. The mother hippo became completely panicked, and out of frustration and confusion, she started fighting with any hippo that came near her.”

It was with a measure of horror that the viewers from the bird hide watched the unfolding aggressive onslaught on the little hippo. He was tossed about and there seemed nothing they, nor the other hippos, could do.
“For what felt like hours, we watched in awe as the baby hippo struggled in the water, fighting for its life.”

A heartbreaking ordeal
The baby hippo emerged time and again from out of the water’s depths; a tiny figure amongst the colossal figures of the adult hippos.

Then, according to the friends’ accounts, suddenly everything calmed down. “The baby managed to get out of the water, but it was badly injured,” they said. “Its belly was open, and there were wounds all over its body.”
Walking for the baby animal seemed almost impossible, likely due to its injured back legs.

They continued with their heartbreaking account: “Despite the injuries, the baby hippo tried to walk away. The mom and another female hippo followed, smelling and inspecting the baby’s wounds. The baby found a bush to rest by, and the other female left. The mom then stood over her baby, and something touching happened. She looked like she was crying, letting her saliva fall on the baby’s wounds. She then gave a silent scream, a moment of pure emotion, before gently pushing the baby out of our view and walking away.”

An ordeal no-one will forget
The women were shaken by the powerful display of nature’s raw brutality.
The explanation for the barbaric behaviour is possibly linked to a primal instinct within male hippos to aggressively defend their domains from rivals. Their dominance extends to controlling females and offspring within the group.
At times, male hippos may harm or kill calves, especially males, to reinforce their authority and improve reproductive success.
“We don’t know what happened to the baby hippo after that,” said the women. “We assume the mother knew that it was time to say goodbye as her little one was definitely not going to survive much longer. This encounter was deeply emotional and something we will never forget.”