The Lion, known as the king of beasts, commands respect from many animals, especially fierce male lions on land. Nonetheless, the situation may differ when it comes to encounters in the water. In the African country of Botswana, three male lions underestimated the threat of a hippopotamus while crossing a river, resulting in them being chased and forced to flee.
According to a report from the “Latest Sightings” website, the animal conservation organization Great Plains Conservation recently discovered three male lions attempting to cross a spillway in the Selinda Reserve in Botswana. Before entering the water, they were aware of the presence of hippos in the area but apparently did not realize the extent of the danger until it was too late.
As the three lions swam in the water, a hippo swiftly approached. Hippos are highly territorial animals and seemed to have sensed the intrusion of the lions into their territory.
While lions may be faster runners on land than hippos, they had now entered the hippo’s domain. Hippos can run on land at speeds of up to 30 kilometers per hour, and their powerful legs can propel them while swimming in water at speeds surpassing those of lions.
Although the number of lions outnumbered the hippos at the time, hippos possess strong jaws, and their teeth can grow up to 1 foot (30 centimeters) long. In a one-on-one confrontation, a lion may not necessarily emerge victorious against a hippo, especially when stranded in the water.
For the lions, the only option at that moment was to flee. One lion turned back and swam away upon seeing the hippo rushing towards them, while another lion was caught and bumped by the hippo, causing it to panic and jump in the water. Fortunately, the hippo seemed only intent on driving them away and did not continue the attack. After the lions reached the shore successfully, the hippo did not pursue any further. Two lions managed to reunite on the other side, but the three lions were separated, needing to find another way to regroup.
Despite significant threats posed by human poaching, resulting in a declining population of wild hippos, their speed in running and swimming surpasses that of humans.
If you ever find yourself facing an angry hippo, the best way to escape is to try climbing a sturdy tree or finding large objects to block between you and the hippo.