What Hippos Do After Dark, and Why the River Turns Dangerous

Hippopotamus emerging from water at dusk — A hippo leaving the water at dusk — the hours when most incidents happen. Photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim — CC BY-SA 4.0

By day a hippo looks like a dozing boulder. After sunset it walks kilometres inland along the same worn trails, and the calm river becomes the most dangerous place in the village.

Hippos grazing on land at night — Hippos walk kilometres inland to graze, then return before dawn. Photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim — CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photography credits: Muhammad Mahdi Karim (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons