Tarryn Rae from Mankwe Gametrackers caught this unusual interaction on camera as a large hippo came face to face with a coalition of cheetahs, and began sizing them up.
The event took place at the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, where the hippo appeared to be grazing on the short grass by the side of the water before encountering the two cats.
Neither animal seemed to be quite sure how to react to the other, leading to a bizarre standoff between them as they tried to navigate this unexpected meeting.
Big Cats On Guard
The cheetah coalition appeared to be the first to arrive at the scene, and they had settled in. It’s likely they were heading towards the water for a much needed drink, but they could have been hunting in the area.
Hippos spend most of the day in the cool water, but they come out in the evenings to graze on the grass nearby. Their size means they’re difficult to miss regardless of the amount of light, and these cheetah’s clearly saw this one coming.
From the moment Tarryn started filming, the cheetahs seemed to be on high alert. Having an enormous mammal like a hippo steadily making its way closer would likely make any animal slightly nervous.
A Curious Hippo
The hippo didn’t appear to be exhibiting any threatening of aggressive behavior, however. An aggressive hippo is often easy to spot, due to how wide they open their enormous mouths to show off their huge teeth.
This hippo didn’t appear to be trying to scare the cheetahs in any way, and rather it was just creeping closer slowly, potentially just keeping an eye on them, and curious as to what they were up to.
Although these huge animals can be territorial, it tends to only be when they’re in the water. Once they emerge to graze, they don’t display as much territorial behavior and roam freely around grassy areas.
An Unusual Interaction
Aside from moments like these where chance means they happen to be close to one another, a meeting between a hippo and a cheetah is uncommon.
Due to their immense size and strength, there are very few animals that would find success in hunting adult hippos. Cheetahs are not one of these, as their coalitions usually only number one or two, and their weapons would have little effect on an adult hippo’s thick hide.
Cheetah typically prey on much smaller animals like different kinds of antelope, even leaving baby hippos alone due to the risks of hunting them. There are few reasons for these animals to meet, let alone fight.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
The Face Off
It was perhaps due to this unfamiliarity with each other that the cheetahs appeared to react with hostility. Even if they didn’t often see hippos up close, they could see that this one was far bigger than them.
In a fight they knew they would be forced to retreat, but the hippo wasn’t going to leave them alone either. It’s unknown how long this strange face off carried on for, or the fates of the animals involved.
When out on safari, sightings like these are made all the more special by how unusual they are. They offer an amazing opportunity to enjoy all the strangeness that nature has to to show.