الوصف

Hippos are so many in Zambia’s many waterways and groups of over *0 can be seen in one location, especially when you move along the Luangwa River where the official count is *8 per kilometre of river. In areas where overcrowding is intense, aggression increases. They have a strict territorial system within which bulls are continually fighting for dominance. Their large tusks are used as weapons of attack or defence. The large, wide head has the eyes, nostrils and ears set on the top, allowing them to remain above water while the hippo is submerged.  The mouth is widely split and can be opened extremely wide, exposing the canines, which are large and curved. The river hippopotamus spends most of the day wallowing, resting, and swimming in or near water.  At night, they emerge from the water to graze.  Hippos will graze about 3 kilometers / 1.8 miles from water, although some individuals move farther inland.  An individual may walk *0 kilometers / 6 miles to seek food on land, spending an average of **6 hours on land per night. Despite their bulk, they can run extremely fast.  The river hippo's daily consumption is **1.5 percent of its body weight, compared to an average of 2.5 percent for most other ungulates.  Hippos swim and dive well, and their specific gravity allows them to walk along the bottom.  When submerged, they can seal off their slit-like nostrils and ears.