World Hippo Day

February 15 is World Hippo Day, an occasion to celebrate and appreciate the world’s third largest mammal.

They’re big, they’re river dwellers, and they’re adorably cute – but what else do you know about these great beasts? Here are some facts that will help you better understand the “river horses.”

1. Hippos are semi-aquatic mammals native to sub-Saharan Africa. Although they resemble pigs to a certain degree, their closest living relatives are actually cetaceans such as dolphins and whales.

2. Hippos spend most of their daytime in lakes and rivers to keep cool. They also sweat an oily red liquid to protect themselves from being sun burned.

3. Hippos might look sturdy and slow, but they’re one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.

4. Hippos play an important role in ecology. All the mud stirring from roaming in the river and the dung they drop in the water are actually beneficial to the fish population.

5. When hippos sleep underwater, they still resurface every three to five minutes to breathe without waking up.

6. Hippos are territorial in water. They can be very aggressive when protecting their own area. They also mate and give birth in water.

7. Although they spend hours in water, hippos can’t really swim. Instead, they run along the river bottom.

8. Although they are enormous, they are mostly herbivorous and can consume 68 kg of grass every night. But considering their huge size, this is not really a big amount of food.

For More Information: Hippopotamus