Everything about the hippopotamus
Biology, behaviour, conservation, and comparisons — the most complete guide to the world’s third-largest land mammal.
The Essentials
All articles →The most surprising facts about hippos in one place.
🌿 What Do Hippos Eat?Diet, feeding patterns, and nightly grazing behaviour.
📍 Hippopotamus HabitatWhere hippos live, which countries, and why they need water.
🐣 Reproduction & CalvesGestation, birth, calf development, and maternal bonds.
👥 Social StructureHow hippo pods work — bulls, cows, and hierarchy.
🛡️ Hippo PredatorsWhat threatens hippos — and what almost nothing can.
🦕 Hippopotamus EvolutionFrom whale ancestor to Africa’s river giant.
⚠️ Deaths Caused by HipposWhy hippos kill ~500 people per year — and how to stay safe.
Latest Articles
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Pablo Escobar’s Hippos in Colombia: The Story of the Cocaine Hippos
Four hippos imported by Pablo Escobar in 1981 have become 200 — and Colombia has run out of easy options. The full story of the cocaine hippos.
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Hippo vs Lion: Size, Strength and Why Lions Almost Never Try
Hippo vs lion: a hippo outweighs a lion by up to 20 times. Full breakdown of size, weapons, and the one question that makes this interesting — can a pride of lions bring one down?
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Hippo vs Rhino: Size, Strength, and Who Would Win
Hippo vs rhino: the most evenly matched of Africa’s megafauna showdowns. Full comparison of size, weapons, speed, and real encounters — plus an honest verdict.
The hippopotamus is Vulnerable — and declining
Approximately 115,000 to 130,000 remain in the wild. Habitat loss, poaching and climate change are accelerating the decline.