During a visit by Two-V Productions’ André and Kate to the Kruger National Park, they came across this hippo calf chasing a waterbuck at the Mestel Dam near Numbi Gate.
The next morning Kate and André returned to the dam … and there was the courageous calf … once again chasing animals …
Hippos are very territorial and the calf is probably already training to protect his territory.
Hippos are remarkable animals that can stay underwater for up to six minutes. Usually one calf is born after a gestation period of 225 to 257 days. Initially, the mother hides the calf in reeds. When calf and mother join the rest of the herd after a few months, other hippos will act as babysitters while the mother grazes.
All the sounds you hear in this and André and Kate’s other videos are the original sounds. Feel free to subscribe to their YouTube channel, Two-V Productions and like their Facebook page [https://web.facebook.com/OpVlerke]. Books in their Op Vlerke series can be ordered from Kraal Uitgewers [https://www.kraaluitgewers.co.za]. It can also be found at the shops in rest camps of the Kruger National Park. Please note that the books are only available in Afrikaans.
