Watch a Lion Stranded In the Middle of a Roaring River Before Getting Attacked by a Hippo

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This poor young, male lion has got himself in a whole load of bother. He has started to cross quite a wide and fast flowing river but soon attracted the attention of some hippos. Now, he is stranded on a large rock in the middle of the water. You can’t help but feel sorry for him.

Watch the video to find out how he gets himself out of this very tricky situation – but only just!

Are Lions Good Swimmers?

Lions can swim but it is not their preferred method of locomotion. Sometimes, they swim to find a better food source or a mate or to reach other parts of their territory. They may also enter the water to cool off. Their bodies are not really designed for efficiency in the water. They are heavily built and have more muscle than fat which is not as buoyant.

Their swimming stroke is a kind of doggy paddle and, as you can see in this clip, they do not travel very fast! Also, there are dangers in the water that you can see (such as these hippos) and that you can’t see (such as crocs hiding under the water). Lions can move much more efficiently on land where they can reach speeds of 37 mph.

Is It Normal for Lions and Hippos to Fight?

Lions can’t take down adult hippos in a single attack; it requires numerous serious wounds. However, hippos won’t let a lion stick around long enough to cause that much harm. If a lion and hippo faced off, it would be a battle of strength. In the same ecosystem, the only animals that regularly clash with hippos are elephants and rhinos.

Are Hippos Scared of Lions?

Hippos are not usually scared of lions. Even though they are a herbivore and look a little comical, hippos can be quite ferocious.

They are also very territorial about their patch of water. Hippos will quite happily see off any animal that invades their territory including a carnivore like this lion. They are very large and strong animals with sharp teeth and they can cause a lot of damage to a lion’s body should they choose to do so. A lone lion would very rarely take on an adult hippo.

However, you must not forget that lions are opportunists.  A lion pride may tackle an old, sick, or young hippo. Also, lions will happily scavenge hippo carcasses. Most of the time, hippos and lions ignore each other. However, this lion has made a mistake and has entered the hippo’s territory.

Hopefully, he learns from his mistake!