Hippo Pool

Hippo Pool

Somewhere in the northeast part of Serengeti National Park is this hippo pool, where hundreds of hippos can be seen up and down the river.  It was perfectly safe to observe them from this vantage point, the bank was too steep for them to ascend or descend.

Behind me is a wide flat area where the safari vehicles park.  This would NOT be safe at night, when the hippos come out of the pool to graze.  Believe it or not, these 7,000 lb blobs can outrun a man, and they are very aggressive about protecting their territory.  Cliff Claven’s little know fact:  The hippo accounts for more deaths in Africa than any other animal.

This is probably my most favorite scene of the five-day safari.

Thought for the Day:  There’s an eagle in me that wants to soar, and a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.                                                               Carl Sandburg