6 animals that can kill a hippo – "Weighing a mighty 4500kg the hippo is a huge, dangerous animal that only the boldest predator would dare approach."
BBC Wildlife Magazine • • world
Key Points:
- The common hippopotamus, the world's third-largest land mammal, can weigh up to 4,500 kg and is highly dangerous, capable of running at 19 mph and defending itself with massive canine teeth over 50 cm long.
- Hippos are responsible for 500-1000 human deaths annually, often attacking small boats they mistake for crocodiles, making them one of the deadliest large animals to humans.
- Predators of hippos include Nile crocodiles, which ambush young hippos, and lions, which may attack isolated hippos far from water, though such attacks are risky and require a full pride.
- Spotted hyenas sometimes attempt to prey on young hippos by isolating them from the herd, but this is rare due to the difficulty and availability of easier prey.
- Conflicts with other large herbivores like rhinos and elephants are uncommon but can occur over territory or water sources, while humans hunt hippos both for subsistence and commercial bush meat, also culling them when they pose threats to people.
