How common are fights to the death amongst hippos?

Question

Several website say they are very, very rare. But Animal Planet television program says they are commonplace. Rare, commonplace, rare, commonplace...My question is a television program more reliable source of information or several websites more reliable source of information? Well, my question is how frequent are hippos fights lethal, but that aspect is important too.

I know the second answer is just a copy and paste but it is a very good copy and past and accredits a source so you don't falsely assume they are the original author like some people do. It proves something. That some websites state fights between hippos are often fatal which concurs with the show I saw. Though I have still seen websites that says deaths as a result of the combat are rare. What I have to do is study all the websites to see which are the most reliable...even count the number that say rare and count the number that say commonplace so I have a majority swinging one way or the other...

Answer 1

Common hippos live in groups, sometimes known as schools (except for the pygmy hippo which is usually found singly or in pairs). There are 20 - 100 in each group. In the centre of each group's territory there is a creche occupied by females and youngsters; the adult males each have a separate area, known as a refuge, around the creche. The creche is on a sandbar in midstream or on a raised bank of the river or lake. Special paths lead from the males' refuges to the feeding grounds.

The female hippos are the leaders of the schools. When the young males leave the creche, they have to take up a refuge beyond the ring of adult males' refuges lying around the edge of the creche. Each then has to try and win his way to an inner refuge by fighting - and this entitles him to mate with one of the females. Bulls will constantly have to defend their presence or be ousted by another willing male. Their fights are fierce and often fatal for the loser. .
The hippo's familiar yawn is actually an aggressive gesture, a challenge to fight. The two contestants rear up out of the water, huge mouths wide open, trying to slash each other with their long tusks. Terrible gashes are inflicted but they quickly heal. Their thick skin does offer some protection however their teeth are razor sharp, easily piercing the 3 inch layer. However,the aim of a fight is to break a foreleg of an opponent - this is fatal because the animal can no longer walk on land to feed. There are strict rules concerning the behaviour of the males. Outside the breeding season a female may pay a social call on a male and he may visit her - but he must enter the creche with no sign of aggression. If a female gets up on her feet, the male must lie down - and he may only get up when she lies down again! A male who does not keep to these rules is driven out by attacking females.

Answer 2

The fights between them are extremely common but death is a rare thing. Also what is very common are injuries, it is just that the vast majority of them do not end up taking the life of the animal.

I have seen several fights were the smaller/weaker hippo left the battle with injuries, injuries that were not life threatening but enough to slow the poor thing down. Anyway, that hippo does not die from the injuries but ends up being attacked by crocs or other preds and killed.

Nonetheless, death is a rare thing... battles and injuries, even severe ones are not.

Perhaps you just misheard what they said. What is more lethal is when hippos get into fights with other animals and or people. That ends up being VERY deadly.

Answer 3

Hippos are a lot more fierce than most think. They do fight and kill many other animals. Often, as with all animals within their species the fights are over mates, territories, food etc. and the fight to gain dominance/win. Once that is done issue over. They do not often fight each other to the death. Now outside their species they take lives ask ?'s later.