An impressive video
While the lioness was visibly on the hunt, tourists watched her slowly approach a hippopotamus lying on the ground and with his back to her. An approach that the animal quickly felt and did not appreciate at all: he caught the predator in his mouth, throwing her on the ground.
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According to the witnesses, the lioness survived the defensive move, but she will probably never again attack a hippopotamus again.
A surprising reputation
Hippos have a reputation as a gentle animal, yet they are the most dangerous herbivores in the world. Far from their image full of sweetness, they are aggressive animals. They usually live in groups, whose leader is a polygamous male and not very easy-going. Dwarf hippopotamuses live in couples or small groups.
Their reputation for sweetness surely comes from the fact that they feed only on plants, yet they are among the most dangerous animals in Africa. Extremely territorial, these animals can be responsible for up to 300 victims a year. They have never been domesticated by humans because of their aggressiveness.
Hippos have huge mandibles (lower jaw) and can inflict deep wounds. Fights between hippopotamuses are punctuated by screams and impressive positions where they have their mouth open, intended to dominate the opponent. Their mandibles can also open 150 degrees to show the interior of their mouth, a technique to threaten other enemy hippopotamuses.
Check out the video to see exactly what happened when this lioness underestimated the hippo!
