Waterways in the wilds of northern Botswana are often teeming with hippos and crocs, which can make things tricky forterrestrialspeciestrying to safely navigatethis water-rich landscape. For the lions that rule these floodlands, water crossings are a necessity. But things don't always go to plan. While attempting totrudgeacross a deep waterway recently a lion found itself in ahigh-stakes tussle with a hippo that didn't take kindly to the catenteringits territory.
The action was filmed by Jon Leman – a guest at Great Plains Conservation's Selinda Campsituated in aprivate 130,000-hectare reserve sandwiched between the water systems of the Okavango Delta and Linyanti River – and shows atrio of male lions attempting to wade across the water when a hippo spots the cats and motors in to see them off. Although hippos spend much of their timebobbing aboutin rivers, dams and spillways, the hefty mammals can't actually swim, per se. To propel themselves through the water hippos 'gallop' along the ground below the surface, relying onthe perfect combination of bone density andbuoyancy to allow them to thrust their heavy bodies forwardwith surprising speed. It's something lions certainly can't do with the same efficiency and it didn't take long for the hippo in Lenman's footage to catch up with the paddling cats.
As the hippo charges in, one of the lions abandons the crossing and turns tail leaving the other two to deal with the belligerent beast. Mouth agape, the hippo thrusts itself at one ofthe lions forcing the cat to porpoise its way out of the water, growling all the while in discontent. Luckily for the lion the hippo seemed happy to simply see off the threat and did not chomp down on the catallowing itto escape uninjured.
Hippos are notoriously territorial and are known to actively chase off any unwanted animals entering their water space. Even on dry land, these mega mammals are not to be messed with (as one lion discovered when it snuck up on a sleeping hippo). These cantankerous behemothsusually spend the daylight hours semi-submerged and only exit the water at night to graze. Although their bulk and toothy armoury usually ensure that they do not become victims of nocturnal hunters, even hippos fall prey to lions on occasion. According to reports from Selinda, the lionsthat became stranded on the opposite bank during the hippo encounter eventually crossed at a different point and the pride was able to attack and kill a hippo the following day. It seems the cats had the last say.
"Turf War" tells the story of a dramatic standoff between lions and hippos as they struggle to survive through the dry season in Zambia's Luangwa Valley. (Click the button at the top right of the trailer to stream the film).
Top header image: Arno Meintjes, Flickr
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FAQs
A hippo would almost always win a fight against a lion with its powerful bite force and sheer size.
Did the lion survive the hippo attack? ›
In the end, another hippo went for the lion, but luckily, he missed it.” The young male lion, possibly trying to cross the river to establish his own territory, was not injured during the encounter.
Who would win a fight between a hippo and a crocodile? ›
But, Hippos Are the Boss
They are simply too big for crocs to get their mouths around. Even if a crocodile were to grab a hippo's leg and deploy its go-to move, the death roll, it would likely fail to budge its much larger neighbor.
Can a pride of lions take down a hippo? ›
According to reports from Selinda, the lions that became stranded on the opposite bank during the hippo encounter eventually crossed at a different point and the pride was able to attack and kill a hippo the following day.
Who is stronger, a hippo or a tiger? ›
Easy…it would be stalemate. Hippo is not agile enough to get a hold of a tiger and a tiger is not large or strong enough to bring down a hippo in a face to face conflict. If you need to declare a winner, the hippo would ultimately chase the tiger away.
Has a lion ever killed a man? ›
In certain areas of Tanzania, some lions prey upon humans. Between 1932 and 1947, three generations of lions killed 1,500 people in the Njombe District in southern Tanzania. Man-eating lions in Tanzania are being studied to determine whether or not they intentionally set traps to catch human prey.
What happens if a hippo bites you? ›
Their bite is almost three times stronger than that of a lion. One bite from a hippo can possibly cut a human body in half. They're found naturally in various parts sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in East and Southern Africa, living in or near rivers and other water sources.
What animal killed the lion King? ›
Scar sets up Mufasa to be killed by a herd of stampeding wildebeests. Simba survives, but sees his father's death. Traumatised by the events and blaming himself, he disappears from the Kingdom and everyone he loves.
Do hippos hate crocodiles? ›
The reason crocs live together somewhat peaceably with hippos is because hippos don't eat meat* and crocs usually understand it's foolhardy to attempt to attack an adult hippo. So, they don't even try. No interest on the hippos side and nearly assured destruction on the croc's side.
Would a hippo beat a shark? ›
Scientists use AI to simulate EPIC battles between the most ferocious creatures in the animal kingdom - so, who would win between a hippo and a great white shark? While it ultimately lost to the Hippopotamus in the tournament, the polar bear gave five other competitors a run for their money.
Nile crocodiles, lions, and spotted hyenas are known to prey on young hippos. Beyond these, adult hippos are not usually preyed upon by other animals due to their aggression and size. Cases where large lion prides have successfully preyed on adult hippos have been reported, but it is generally rare.
Do lions ever take down elephants? ›
Lions are known to hunt elephant calves even when there are sufficient buffalo, zebra and wildebeest populations available. Male lion coalitions have been known to hunt elephants. In nearby Matusadona National Park, however, there are individual coalitions of males which seem to specialize in hunting adult elephants.
Who wins gorilla or hippo? ›
Hippopotamus should wreck a gorilla on land with little to no effort and in the water with no effort. A hippo can get up to 16.5 feet long, 5 feet high (from hooves to shoulder) and weigh up to 9,000 lbs [1]vs a gorilla which can top out at about 6 feet tall and 500 pounds [2].
What animal hunts hippos? ›
Nile crocodiles, lions, and spotted hyenas are known to prey on young hippos. Beyond these, adult hippos are not usually preyed upon by other animals due to their aggression and size. Cases where large lion prides have successfully preyed on adult hippos have been reported, but it is generally rare.
Who would win, rhino or lion? ›
The lions win. The rhino is slower and less agile and will struggle to hit a lion.
