Common Hippopotamus by Megan Quinn

Hippopotamus Range

meganjquinn1 — 2024-05-04 01:31:49 UTC

The historic range of the hippo is in pink whereas the current range is in green. The hippopotamus is native to sub-Saharan Africa and live in and around bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and mangroves.

Why is the hippopotamus population declining?

meganjquinn1 — 2024-05-04 01:41:33 UTC

Hunting and agricultural expanse in Africa are the most prevalent drivers of population decline for hippos. Their teeth are sought after for ivory make them prime targets for poaching. Hippos are also valuable for subsistence from their fat and large game trophy hunting. Human-wildlife conflicts also result in gunshot mortality for these animals as hippos can be a dangerous threat to people.

Hippos today are mostly confined to protected areas due to development of settlements and agricultural farms. Habitat loss and deforestation are a major concern for the future of this species.

Population Estimate and IUCN Status

meganjquinn1 — 2024-05-04 01:48:36 UTC

Recent estimates put the hippopotamus population at around 115,000-130,000 (Lewison and Pluháček, 2017). They have been classified as vulnerable on the IUCN red list since 2006.

Diet

meganjquinn1 — 2024-05-04 02:01:30 UTC

Hippos are primarily herbivories, grazing on grasses, aquatic plants, and fruit during the night. Grass is the primary component of a hippos diet, with a single hippo capable of eating up to 110 lbs of grass in one night. Hippos can eat meat, and have been known to attack ungulates like zebra and wildebeest. Hippos have even been recorded cannibalizing other hippos.

A fact only a wildlife nerd would call "fun".

meganjquinn1 — 2024-05-04 02:02:48 UTC

Its a hippo eat hippo world.

Social Structure: A Bloat of Hippos

meganjquinn1 — 2024-05-04 02:12:41 UTC

The social structure of hippos is flexible, with a group - referred to as a siege or bloat - containing between 30-100 individuals. The size of the group is dependent on the availability of resources. These groups are polygynous lead by one male called a bull joined by multiple females. During periods of drought and scarce resources, more heterogenous mixtures of genders are possible. Hippos are extremely aggressive and will engage in physical altercations to defend their territory, young, and mates. It is common to see scars and wounds on hippos from territory and resource disputes.

A Unique Role in the Ecosystem

meganjquinn1 — 2024-05-04 02:27:10 UTC

Many herbivores offer a similar path of nutrient recycling where vegetation is taking in and nutrients are returned to the soil through their excrement. Hippos are unique in that they graze on land, but take shelter from the heat in water. Hippos essentially function as a vehicle to take nutrients from plants on land to the water through their feces. This provides resources for native and essential algae at the bottom of the food chain to grow and reproduce, controlling the aquatic ecosystem. These native algae, often diatoms, actually can outcompete invasive and disruptive algae if given the resources from the hippo excrement.

A Symbol of Africa

meganjquinn1 — 2024-05-04 02:45:22 UTC

The hippopotamus is a well known and globally recognizable animal connected to the African continent. Many countries in Africa associate hippos with power and chaos. Ancient Egyptians hunted hippos as an act to prove that they could conquer evil and overcome chaos. Today, hippos are often viewed as sacred animals, intertwined in many oral traditions. Linked above is an oral Zulu story passed down through generations about how the hippo lost its hair.

Hippos also contribute to the economy of the countries where they reside such as Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Zambia through tourism. Hippo and safari tours operate to allow tourists to view these animals in their natural habitat.

Perception in Media

meganjquinn1 — 2024-05-04 02:54:32 UTC

While hippos are understood to be potentially dangerous in the wild and amongst groups who coexist with them, media portrayal is often positive and promoted by conservation groups and zoos. Some hippos have even found celebrity status, such as the Cincinnati Zoo resident Fiona.

Management Strategies

meganjquinn1 — 2024-05-04 03:05:34 UTC

Current management efforts are concentrated around two focal points: reducing conflict with humans and protection of hippopotamus habitat. Organizations such as the African Wildlife Federation engage in community outreach to education and help groups build fences and ditches to protect agricultural lands and prevent contact with hippos.

National parks where hippos are protected from poachers and land is preserved to prevent further damage and development are funded mainly through tourism and supplemented with funds raised through wildlife organizations/NGOs.

A 2023 study finds hippos may be one of the most influential megaherbivores

meganjquinn1 — 2024-05-04 03:16:09 UTC

On top of altering water chemistry through their dung, hippos are also ecosystem engineers. Due to their large size, hippo movement actually alters geomorphological processes which can expand riverbanks, widen rivers, and produce new river channels.

Controversy: The Colombian Hippo

meganjquinn1 — 2024-05-04 03:24:18 UTC

In the 1980s, infamous drug trafficker Pablo Escobar imported several hippos as exotic pets. After the collapse of Escobar's empire, the hippos were left unattended and at large which has grown into a huge issue for Colombia as their population expanded. These hippos are considered the largest invasive animal in the world, and have serious consequences for the ecosystem. Their highly nutrient dense feces change the nutrient composition of the rivers for worse, and their movements erode river banks and trample native vegetation.

Youtube Video: A Fun Review of the Hippo's Evolutionary Successes

meganjquinn1 — 2024-05-04 03:30:51 UTC