A thrilling incident recently occurred in Botswana, a country in southern Africa. A tourist sightseeing boat carrying passengers was traveling along a local river when it accidentally entered the territory of a giant, solitary male hippo. The massive beast, estimated to weigh several tons, was instantly provoked and, in the shallow water, furiously charged and relentlessly gave chase.
Fortunately, the captain reacted swiftly and skillfully floored the throttle to speed away, allowing all passengers on board to escape unharmed and avert disaster.
According to international media reports, the tourist who captured this dramatic footage, Bell, recalled that she was on the boat tour with her family and friends. At first, the captain deliberately slowed down and observed from a distance to avoid disturbing the highly territorial hippo. However, after watching for a moment, the captain noticed something was off with the hippo’s demeanor, his face grew serious, and he calmly warned everyone on board: “Hold tight, we have to speed up right now in case it decides to chase us.”
No sooner had he finished speaking and the boat just started speeding up, when everyone turned around and saw the gigantic hippo furiously closing in through the water.
The footage shows the massive beast displaying astonishing explosive power and speed as it surged forward, its body rapidly rising and falling on the water’s surface. As the distance between the hippo and the boat narrowed quickly, the tension onboard was palpable. Bell described this as “one of the most terrifying moments” of her life. Fortunately, the hippo gave up after pursuing for a distance, and everyone on the boat was able to get away safely.
According to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, an adult male hippo can weigh between 1,600 and 4,500 kilograms, about the size of a midsize SUV.
Researchers from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, point out that hippos fiercely defend their aquatic territories, and will launch violent attacks if they feel threatened. It is estimated that hippos cause at least 500 deaths in Africa each year—making them more dangerous and deadly than lions, by more than twofold.