Laikipia County. Hippos' Watering Place

The rotary camera, in the center of Laikipia County, shows us the hippopotamuses’ watering place. We are in this part of Kenya, not without reason, as the research center of Mpala Wildlife Foundation was opened nearby. The watering place is next to Basking Beach.

At first glance, it may seem that a lazy and slow-moving animal is unlikely to harm scientists and tourists who come to Africa. In fact, hippos are very dangerous for humans. In the cases of fights between hippopotamuses and elephants, or even rhinoceroses, the hippopotamus often wins. The animal is dangerous, the maximum speed it can move is about 30 kilometers per hour.

Thanks to this camera, we can see how much the behavior of a large animal changes when it comes out of the water. On land, the hippopotamus does not tolerate even its congeners and tries to force back all the animals.

Today, the population of hippos is not at risk of extinction, but there are a variety of factors, such as poaching and the destruction of the natural habitat, which adversely affect their numbers.