Hippo’s otherwise known as “river horses,” are the world’s second largest land mammal after elephants. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, they spend their days in rivers, lakes and swamps, often in large groups called pods.
Most of what they do, they do in the water. This includes mating and giving birth. Time on land, meanwhile, is limited. Hippos spend around six hours a day on land, grazing on grass, mainly at night.
Researchers have studied the way that hippos move on land and found that the animals are more agile than was thought. They may weigh over 2 tonnes, have barrel-shaped bellies and short, stocky legs, but there are moments in a speeding hippo’s stride when all four limbs are off the ground. Hippos don’t just run, they fly! Up to 15 per cent of each stride cycle occurs in the air. That’s around 0.3 seconds.
- Can a human outrun a crocodile? Just how fast are these deadly, ferocious reptiles?
- Can we outswim a shark
At top whack, a charging hippo can reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. That’s twice as fast as most people can run, and seven miles quicker than Usain Bolt, who clocked a speed of 23 miles per hour during his record-breakings sprint.
So, could a human outrun a hippo?
Answer, unlikely. The herbivores are also infamously territorial and aggressive. They don’t suffer fools gladly and cause an estimated 500 human deaths every year. Most of these occur, not on land, but on water, when the hippos charge and capsize boats. Those on board then either drown or are killed by the animals themselves.
Can a person outrun an elephant?
Can a human outrun a bear?
In water, hippos can also shift, reaching speeds of up to 5 miles per hour. This matches or exceeds the pace of most human swimmers. But can they swim faster than us? Answer, an unequivocal, nerdy no!
Bizarrely, given how much time they spend in water, hippos can’t actually swim. Instead, they use their feet to push off the riverbed and walk along. If the water gets too deep, they can hold their breath for up to five minutes, or they can use their legs to bounce up and down, snatching air as they go.
So, whilst humans can’t outrun hippos, we can, theoretically, outswim them. Not that I’d ever suggest challenging one to a swim race. Better to watch them from a distance and treat them with respect.
