What should’ve been a lazy setting by a waterhole, soon became a flurry of activity when members of a herd of hippos stood out of the water as a united front against a large pack of wild dogs.
All of the animals were in clear view of spectators making this sighting extra memorable.
The two species stood facing one another, and while the hippos moved with relatively slowness compared to the wild dogs, they appeared to have the upper hand.
The hippos also weren’t scared to exert their authority. They were prepared to charge if needs be.
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The wild dogs were skittish in their approach towards the hippos, which only had to open their mouths to reveal large teeth, for the dogs to be intimidated enough to back off by a few steps.
Hippo appears to charge wild dogs
One of the more brazen of the hippos then boldly approached the wild dogs, moving with determination and confidence and leaving the wild dogs running further away with its every move.
It moved surprisingly fast for such a hefty fellow, and its intimidating presence was felt by the wild dogs.
Hippos and wild dogs rarely interact directly, so this was a rare sighting. While the species occupy different habitats and ecological roles, encounters such as this one can occur near water sources.
Hippos are massive, territorial herbivores and can be extremely aggressive when protecting their space, especially in the water. Wild dogs will only approach water to drink or cross. Here, they possibly came too close to the hippos.
Hippos stand out of water in clear view
What was particularly impressive was seeing the hippos out of the water, which is in and of itself a rare sighting. Most of the herd stood on dry land. Only a few remained in the water. Their eyes could be seen peeping above the water’s surface and watching the action unfold.
The gargantuan size of those which were out of the water was in full display. Hippos are among the largest land animals in the world. An adult male hippo can weigh between 1 500kg and 3 200kg, and a female hippo, between 1 300 and 1 500kg.
In terms of length, hippos can reach up to 3,5 to 5,2 metres, and they stand about 1m5 metres tall.
In comparison, wild dogs, also known as painted wolves, typically weigh between 18kg and 36 kg. They stand around 60 to 75 centimetres tall at the shoulder and have a body length of around 75 to 112 centimetres.
Despite their size, hippos can run at speeds of up to 30km per hour on land, making them surprisingly fast and dangerous. Wild dogs, though intelligent and efficient hunters, would never attempt to prey on a hippo due to its sheer size and strength.
While wild dogs might scavenge from a dead hippo, they generally avoid confrontation. Any interaction typically results in the wild dogs backing off, as in this incredible sighting.
Wild dogs avoid confrontation with fearless hippos
These wild dogs weren’t about to take any chances. The hippo is an unpredictable and powerful animal not worth challenging!