The hippo really is a must see whilst on safari in South Africa. They can be found in the many lakes and rivers in fairly large groups as they are very social animals and tend to bathe in groups.

The hippo is a very large mammal and can weigh up to 3.5 tonnes, however even being so big this animal can still move pretty fast, 20 MPH on dry land! They are herbivores and eat over 100lbs of vegetation daily.

The impression most people get of these animals is that they are gentle giants however this unfortunately is not the case and hippos can actually be extremely dangerous and have been responsible for some fatalities so just like most of the animals in Africa caution must be exercised when going to see them.

The name hippopotamus comes from the Greek meaning for ‘River Horse’ and as their name suggests they are excellent swimmers and spend most of their time in the water.