Watch This Lone Hippo Intimidate a Massive Herd of Buffalo

As fierce as hippos can be when protecting their territory, there is little that they can do when they are in the face of an entire buffalo herd creeping into their territory. They will do their best to show their teeth, so to speak, to show they would be willing to fight anyone that is willing. However, they know that, ultimately, chasing off an entire herd is just simply impossible.

Watch the Incredible Short Video Below!

Hippo and Buffalo Sighting in Africa

This next short YouTube clip comes to us from the land of Africa. The Wild Earth YouTube channel captured this footage and shared it with its followers. Wild Earth loves to connect people all around the world to the beauty of what nature is like on a daily basis. They also offer live feeds from the Djuma Waterhole camera and the Djuma Private Game Reserve in the Sabi Sand/greater Kruger National Park area, according to their description.

Hippo Going Up Against Buffalo Herd

At the start of this video clip, we see a massive sighting of a herd of buffalo. Buffalo herds typically reach anywhere from 50-500. Given the vast numbers from this video, we would estimate that it is closer to 500, if not more.

We hear one of the tour guides comment, “good idea, let them enjoy the afternoon drink there.” It’s not long before we see a hippopotamus raise his head from the water. Now, don’t forget that the hippo isn’t there to hunt these buffalo. As herbivores, hippos eat grasses, grain, and flowers of sorts.

This hippo just isn’t happy to see this buffalo herd encroaching on his territory. We see the hippo doing his best to intimidate this herd. However, given the vast numbers this herd has, they are unfazed. However, we will add as unbothered as this herd might be, they will still keep their distance. The hippo is a formidable opponent in a fight, and no buffalo would want to go up against that.

Does a Hippo Have a Predator?

If you’ve ever seen the movie Madagascar, you probably have an assumption of what hippos are like. Soft, cute, and the most gentle of creatures. Well, we hate to burst that bubble, but that is far from what adult hippos are like.

The hippopotamus can weigh up to five tons and reach up to 16 feet in length. They have 36 deadly teeth that have a bite force of 1,800 PSI. This is putting “formidable opponent” lightly.

Given this, the predators for the hippo are far few. You might hear reports of crocodiles, lions, hyenas, or leopards that will attack them. And while this has definitely happened before, typically, this is in reference to younger hippos. The real predatorial threat for hippos is another hippo. If you’ve never seen two hippos fight one another, do a quick YouTube search and watch how incredible that fight can be.

So, while this buffalo herd knew there were plenty of them in comparison to this lone hippo, they knew not to go too far out in the water. This hippo clearly wanted to fight if given the chance.