Earlier on this week, the territorial bull Hippo, from the Xuvo Pod, and one of his cows, were seen mating on several occasions. The Pod comprises of about 11 individuals, the bull and several cows and calves, and it is with great expectation, that if all goes well, the pod will have a new addition to their numbers.

Hippo are reliant on water during the day, to keep their skin moist and cool, spending the day socializing in water deep enough to submerge, as their bodies heat up in the African sun. Overexposure to sunlight may cause their skin to desiccate and split, enabling septicemia to take hold. To prevent this, they exude a red fluid which acts as ‘sun block’, but they are unable to produce it in the quantities required, to become fully terrestrial, during the day.

Adult Hippos eat about 40 kilogram’s of grass per night, and can walk up to 10 kilometers while feeding (usually 4 – 5 km) returning to the comfort of the water, early the next morning.

Courtship, mating and birth all take place in the water, and the calves mostly suckle underwater. Nose and ear membranes, aid the hippo in this endeavor, and when not feeding, calves tend to socialize in ‘crèches’, although mothers keep a beady eye on them, and do not need much prompting to fly to their off-spring’s aid.

Photo’s courtesy of our Lion Sands Ecologist, Edwin Pierce