Dramatic video shows massive hippo chasing down boat filled with tourists in African waterway
Tourists hoping for an up-close look at Africa’s famed wildlife got more than they bargained for when a massive hippo charged after their boat through a shallow waterway.
Hippo charges after tour boat in Botswana
What appears to be a hungry, hungry hippo in Botswana launched into hot pursuit of a tour boat, chasing the tourists away from the area before eventually calling it quits.
That's one hangry hippo.
A boat filled with tourists hoping to witness some of the wildlife that makes Africa an unforgettable vacation destination got exactly what they came for — along with a little fright along the way.
Viral video footage captures the heart-pounding moment a massive hippo charged after a tour boat in Botswana, racing through the water in hot pursuit of the escaping boat.
BISON MATING SEASON IS UNDERWAY, AND IT'S BEST TO KEEP YOUR DISTANCE
The tour boat was traveling along the waterway when the group spotted a lone male hippo in the distance, prompting the captain to slow down to avoid disturbing the territorial animal.
Hippos are highly territorial in the water and can become aggressive when they perceive a threat to their space.
(Oznur Bell via Storyful)
"After watching his behavior for a moment, he calmly said, ‘Hold on—we need to speed up now before he decides to come after us,’" said Oznur Bell, the tourist who captured the moment on camera. "The moment we accelerated, we looked back and realized the hippo was chasing us."
While the boat driver appeared to laugh off the encounter as just another walk in the park—or, in this case, a ride through Botswana’s shallow waterways—the tourists on board may have been a little more rattled by the massive mammal, and for good reason.
MEET THREEHALVES: THE VIRAL, FREAKY-LOOKING ROBOT DESIGNED FOR EARTH'S MOST DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENTS
According to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, common hippos can grow up to 16.5 feet long and 5.2 feet tall at the shoulder, with adult males weighing between 3,500 and nearly 10,000 pounds, similar to a mid-length SUV.
With a massive hippo in hot pursuit, tourists aboard a boat in Botswana feared the worst.
(Oznur Bell via Storyful)
The tourist who filmed the dramatic encounter described it as "one of the most terrifying moments I’ve ever experienced."
While hippos are herbivores that feed primarily on plants and don’t view humans as prey, that doesn’t mean they aren’t deadly.
Hippos kill about 500 people across Africa each year, more than twice the number killed by lions, according to researchers at the University of Pretoria.
NOT ALL BAD: CYBORG COCKROACHES COULD ONE DAY HELP SAVE LIVES
Hippos are extremely territorial and are known to fiercely defend their patches of water—and defend them they do.
Humans and boats—like the tour boat in this encounter—can be viewed as threats to a hippo’s territory. So, if tourists from the U.S., across North America and around the world want a glimpse inside a hippo’s living room, they’d better make sure the boat engine works on the way out.
Hippos don’t actually swim. Instead, they push off the riverbed and glide through the water, periodically bobbing to the surface to breathe.
(Oznur Bell via Storyful)
Despite spending much of their lives in the water, hippos have an unusual way of getting around. Rather than relying solely on traditional swimming strokes, they often propel themselves through shallow water by pushing off the bottom in a galloping or bounding motion.
Like a massive, menacing dolphin, the male hippo put the technique on full display, ferociously bobbing in and out of the water as it pursued the boat and its passengers before ultimately calling off the chase.
"For a few moments, every single person in the boat was genuinely worried," the videographer said.