Why Do Hippos Open Their Mouths in the Water?

 

“Do you know why hippos open their mouths so wide?” asked Daniel, my Maasai guide. “No, why?” I asked, sensing a creation story in the making.

Kathy-Karn-Hippos-1.jpg

Daniel continued with his story. After God made all the animals, they gathered together in a big meeting so God could locate each and every animal in the right habitat. For example, he put the lions on the plains where there is tall grass and bushes to hide in. The rhinos were also put in the open where there is lots of grass for them to eat. Fish were placed in the water and so on. When the Creator was doing this the hippo raised its hand and said, “I have a request. We are getting sunburned in the heat. Could we please live in the water? It is a good place for us, and we will be protected from the sun.”

Kathy-Karn-Hippos-2.jpg

“Hmmmm,” said the Creator thinking. “I’ve already put the fish in the water. There is no room for you.” The hippos would not be deterred. “See all the pools and the rivers across the land?” they said. “They are so big. There is room for us too.”

Kathy-Karn-Hippos-3.jpg

“Okay, I will let you go in the water,” said the Creator cautiously, “as long as you don’t eat the fish.” As you know, hippos are very big animals, they eat a lot. The hippos promised they would not eat the fish and God let them live in the pools and rivers. When the hippos are in the water you will see them open their mouths wide showing their large canine teeth, proving to God there are no fish in their mouths.

Kathy-Karn-Hippos-4.jpg

Hippos are also territorial. The bulls mark their territories at entrances and exits to the water. They wag their tails like propellers and spray the bushes along the riverbank with their poop. Every evening the hippos leave the water to graze on the savannah in the cool of the night. They return to the water at dawn.

Kathy-Karn-Hippos-5.jpg

Since hippos are grazers their droppings contain grass. They leave another message for God along the shoreline: “See, there are no fish bones in my droppings, only grass.” This pleases the Creator, who is very happy that to this day the fish and the hippos co-exist peacefully in the water.

 Here’s a fun video of a hippo making a big splash as it runs back to the river at sunrise.


Thank you for reading. Support conservation efforts by purchasing a print of the beautiful Maasai Mara in a rainstorm. Every purchase of a wildlife-inspired piece in my full store helps charitable organizations doing valuable conservation work across the planet.


Donate Directly to support conservation