Dancing hippo

A lot of guests that come to our wildlife areas have a preconceived image of what a hippo would look like and what its character is. The old Walt Disney image of hippos prancing around in tutus and being friendly to all is unfortunately incorrect. Those that have witnessed them in the wild will know that they are anything but friendly, being probably the most aggressive animal you can encounter. So it was with great surprise that one day we came upon a hippo that clearly loved the limelight and was prepared to go the extra mile and give us a dance. Swimming gracefully from one side of the dam to the next, he proceeded to do something that myself and my guests had never seen before… he did a roly-poly, synchronised swimming style, exposing his dainty legs and, and letting the world know that hippos can in fact dance. In actual fact, this was probably just another elaborate display of dominance to try and ward us off from his precious dam.

Posted: Exeter by Chris Renshaw, Date: 1 May 2008