In the wild hippopotamuses are native to sub-Saharan Africa and live in rivers surrounded by grassland.
They are semi-aquatic animals and spend up to 16 hours a day in water. This is because their skin needs to be kept wet and too much time out of the water in the heat of the day can lead to dehydration. They then come out of the water during the evening to graze. They’re big animals, but only eat an average of 1 to 1.5 per cent of their body weight (that’s not a whole lot compared to cows which eat 2.5 per cent!).
Despite spending most of the day in the water, hippos don’t actually swim! Due to their dense body mass they sink to the bottom and trot along the river bed. Hippos are well adapted to life underwater, with a clear membrane protecting their eyes and the ability to hold their breath for around five minutes. Even being built for the water they can still clock up some serious speed on land, reaching up to 30km/h!
Hippos are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. The hippo population is estimated to be between 115,000 and 130,000 animals. The primary threats to hippos in the wild is habitat loss and illegal hunting for meat and ivory (found in their canine teeth).
