Have you ever been attacked by a hippopotamus? And what do you do if a hippo comes running in your direction?

Question

Last night I watched an Explorer documentary on hippos, and I found it fascinating. I had read that they were the most dangerous animals in Africa, but I had no idea that their bodies were able to adapt so well to their environment. Despite what I studied in school, I had always pictured hippos as these huggable creatures that were soft, but sensitive about their weight.

What should one do to avoid getting gobbled alive by one, like the man in the documentary? Have you ever seen one up close that wasn’t locked up in captivity?

Answer 1

Yes, every day during my commute to work.

I think the best thing you can do is
a) not live around where hippos are in the wild, which should be pretty easy to accomplish,

and

b) not get close enough to a hippo to have them be able to attack you.

Unless you live in the African bush, I think you'll be pretty safe.

Answer 2

I believe they behave very similar to bears and only attack when they are cornered, hungry, or are protecting their young. There's no information that I'm able to find about defending yourself against a hippo. At first I thought laying flat would be a good option, because they have poor vision & it would make it hard for them to see you and bite you. But they still have a sense of smell and can definitely crush you with their weight.

Probably the best defense would be to make your presence known and not startle them.

Answer 3

more people in Africa are killed by Hippos than anything else ,because of disapearing environments for hippos .they are very territorial and agressive
they can snap a cannoo in half and think nothing of attacking boats .a man in the water does not stand a chance
on the land he could out run one if he keeps zig zagging

Answer 4

If a hippo charges you, climb up a tree...fast.

Hippos have trampled or gored people who strayed too near, dragged them into lakes, tipped over their boats, and bitten off their heads. African lore has it that hippos kill more people each year than lions, elephants, leopards, buffaloes and rhinos combined.

Answer 5

at the local wal-mart or dollar general, near the cheap snack aisle, just give them a wide berth and avoid eye contact. if still confronted by one, throw a box of hoho's to divert them and then run.

Answer 6

No I have never seen one in real life. If you want to avoid being eaten then stay away from them!!! They are VICIOUS!! even the crocodiles won't take them on!!

Answer 7

They beat up crocodiles! Best just get out of they way. Their mouths are too big to contend with.

Answer 8

always bring a high caliber auto-rifle w/ u.

Answer 9

Get small.

Answer 10

Run...