Hippo Facts That Will Amaze (and Terrify) You

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Thanks to social media, people around the world have fallen in love with Fiona and Fritz at the Cincinnati Zoo and the adorable memes of baby Moo Deng. It’s easy to see why — baby hippos are undeniably cute. But encountering a real-life hippo in the wild? Now that’s a whole different story. Despite their chubby, lovable appearance, wild hippos are some of the most dangerous animals on Earth. Just like those on the boat in this video, being chased by an angry hippo is a nightmare no one wants to experience!

Where Do Hippos Live?

Hippos are native to Africa and live mainly in sub-Saharan regions. They are semi-aquatic mammals and spend much of their time in slow-moving bodies of water like swamps, lakes, estuaries, mangroves, and rivers. Although hippos once roamed all across Africa, habitat loss has narrowed most populations down to East Africa today.

Being semi-aquatic, hippos are built for life in the water. Their ears, eyes, and nostrils are located on top of their heads, allowing them to see, hear, and breathe while remaining mostly underwater. Since their skin is very sensitive, they spend most of the day wallowing in mud or water. At night they forage for food on land.

How Well Can Hippos Swim?

You would think that an animal that spends so much time in the water would be an expert swimmer — but surprisingly, hippos can’t actually swim! Their bodies are too dense and heavy to even float in water, which prevents them from swimming like other aquatic animals. Instead, hippos use their powerful legs and webbed toes to propel themselves through the water by pushing off the riverbed, essentially “bouncing” along the muddy bottom.

On land, a hippo can run up to 19 miles per hour, and their sheer weight and density allow them to push through water with surprising force. In other words, when you see a hippo moving through the water (like in the video above), they’re not really swimming — they’re just running or bouncing along the bottom at very impressive speeds.

Do Hippos Attack Humans?

You may have heard that hippos kill 500 people a year in Africa, making them the deadliest mammal on land. However, that statistic doesn’t tell the whole story.

Hippos weigh between 3,000 and 10,000 pounds, making them the second largest animal on land. Despite this enormous size, however, hippos are herbivores and aren’t naturally aggressive. But they are very territorial. If a hippo feels threatened, it won’t hesitate to defend itself with shocking speed and force. On land, a hippo can easily outrun a human — and in the water, they are nearly unstoppable. Hippos are also social animals who are rarely ever alone.

But beyond their sheer size and incredible speed, hippos also have sharp, 20-inch-long teeth. Their massive jaws can open up to 180 degrees, and they can bite down with a force three times greater than a lion.

As herbivores, hippos peacefully graze throughout the night, eating grasses and aquatic plants. However, they won’t hesitate to attack anything that threatens their space, food, or young. This is especially true for female hippos, who are fiercely protective of their calves. Getting between a mother hippo and her baby is a mistake you never want to make!