Hippopotamus Predators

Hippopotamus Predators

Some people believe that the Hippo has no natural predators on the wild. They don’t have very many but those that they have are tough ones. The life of a Hippo is mainly spent in the water during the day. Here the only real predators to be concerned with are alligators and crocodiles. They typically will look for unattended offspring that they can dine on.

However, these predators also know that a mother Hippo is extremely aggressive. They know she can severely injure or even kill them if they are caught. This is why they will often reserve such actions for when they are desperate for a meal. Only then it is considered to be worth the risk involved.

The young Hippos are also vulnerable to some predators when they are on land. When they are feed on the shores and banks of the water they can be surprised by the alligators and crocodiles. Once on land though the major concerns come from lions, tigers, and hyenas.

As a Hippo gets larger though the chances of it being prey get slimmer and slimmer. They are powerful animals from a very early age. Predators are looking for an easy meal rather than one that puts their own life on the line. There are times when a pack of cats will attack an adult Hippo. However, this is again isolated to when they find the pickings for a meal to be very slim.

From this point of view it may seem that the Hippo has it made right? Well, that is until you introduce humans. There has been an ongoing battle among them for ages. Even though the Greeks and the Romans found them to be fascinating and symbolistic, the rest of the world has often feared them. They want to destroy the Hippo before it can destroy man.

Hunting of this creature has taken place since the beginning of time. We have proof with the various early writings and the cave art. However, in that period of time the hunting was to ensure the survival of man. That is what the people of African continue to do with the meat from this animal. Without it, they wouldn’t be able to survive in that environment.

However, hunting for the Hippo today has taken on new turns that weren’t there before. This is due to the fact that there animals often live where humans want to establish a home or a business. They will kill them to clear the path for such dreams to be made into their own reality.

The hunting of the Hippo as a trophy sport is common as well. Men and women that love to hunt often get bored with the same old thing again and again. Then they turn to more exotic creatures and will travel a great distance to hunt them. The thrill of hunting such a large animal is unlike anything they have experienced in the past.

There is plenty of money to be made by killing the Hippo as well. They have very large teeth that are made from ivory. The demand for this substance is unbelievable due to the lack of it out there. The risk of getting caught poaching and removing the teeth is worth it to make a large pile of money.

Even when these poachers are found, they are usually just the middleman. The bigger guys involved with the entire set up never get touched. No one should think of the Hippo as an easy target though. They can run faster than a man and they can kill instantly when they feel threatened.