Only, just when things got heated up, a tooth got in the way! The incredible sighting was filmed by Marlo Hartman in the Idube Game Reserve.
Hippos battle it out in display of dominance
It’s no secret that hippos are highly territorial. This is especially evident in and near water, which is the centre of their survival and social life.
Dominant male hippos (bulls) defend stretches of river, lake, or shoreline mainly to secure mating rights and safe resting space. They often control groups of females and young and will fight other adult males that enter their zone.
Hippo rivals bulldoze through water towards one another
These two hippos made a beeline for one another. It was clear that the water wasn’t big enough for the two of them, and in their thinking, one of them had to go!
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Hippos open mouths to reveal frighteningly large teeth!
As the hippos battled it out, they displayed their magnificent teeth. These were big boys and their teeth were put on display like terrifying daggers. Seeing the teeth, game viewers could understand why hippos are considered among the most dangerous of animals.
To put it into perspective, hippos have one of the strongest bites of any land animal. Their bite is roughly 1,800 to 2,000 PSI. This is strong enough to crush bone and cause catastrophic trauma during fights.
This bite force is used by males in territorial and dominance battles, where they lunge with mouths wide open and stab or slash with tusk-like canines.
It’s like a sword fight, only the swords in question are their teeth! Hippo canines can reach around 50cm in length and are specifically evolved for fighting, not chewing.
Because fights can be brutal and involve stabbing, crushing and twisting motions, hippos frequently leave rivals badly injured, sometimes fatally wounding them.
Wrestling match ensues between determined hippos
These rival hippos chased on another in and out of the water. They wrestled one another in the watery depths, and showed impressive might and power as they did so.
It seemed they were willing to fight to the death, if needs be.
Hippos move to the shore to continue battle for dominance
The two determined hippos then took their violent skirmish to the shore, and one of the hippos sunk his teeth into the other’s hide. He bit at his rival with fury. That had to hurt!
Large tooth gets in the way
Only, in his zealous biting he perhaps got a little carried away, as it seemed he couldn’t get one of his teeth out afterwards. This meant that he had to walk alongside his rival, as the large animal protested on the shore.
From this sighting, it was evident that there is more to hippo pods than meets the eye. Hippos live in pods with a strict ranking system. Younger males stay on the edges until they’re strong enough to challenge for territory.
These two hippos were more than ready for their showdown. It was unfortunate that a tooth got in the way!