A River Full Of Hippos

Not much gets the adrenaline pumping more than a sunset cruise on one of Africa’s rivers, where lazing hippos and camouflaged crocodiles are around every bend. The Peace Parks team head out on a boat to explore the waterways of the Kasai River in Zambia’s Simalaha Community Conservancy. It’s not long until their sunset cruise comes to an abrupt halt as they find themselves eye-level with a feisty, territorial hippo bull.

Hippos are plentiful across southern Africa, and large pods can often be seen lazing about in one spot. Spending up to 16 hours a day in the water, it is no wonder that their name has been derived from an ancient Greek word meaning ‘river horse’. However, don’t be fooled by their cute appearance, as these highly territorial herbivores kill more humans than any of Africa’s large mammals.

Hippo populations have come under increasing pressure over the last decade as human settlements continue to grow and encroach on their habitat, which is now mainly confined to protected areas such as this one. Peace Parks Foundation recognises the need to protect these four-toed mammals by engaging with communities and mitigating human-wildlife conflict, reducing habitat loss and creating protected, safe spaces.

______________

Follow our journey on social media:

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peaceparkstvsocial/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peaceparks.tv/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/peaceparkstv
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peace-parks-tv/
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@peaceparks.tv