Yeah- it definitely looks funny, but this park ranger
had to sprint over 100 yards to escape with his life.
Hippos are very territorial. They are most likely to attack if you get between them and deep water or if you get between them and a young hippo, but that doesn't mean you're safe if you don't do those things. They may attack just because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, or they didn't like the way you were looking at them, or any number of other reasons.
Their huge canine teeth (tusks) can grow to be the size of bowling pins and they can actually bite a crocodile in half. Although they usually choose not to, they are capable of running up to 30 mph, much faster than most humans (the average running speed of a person is 12-15 mph sprinting & 5-8 mph long distance). Hippos are responsible for more human deaths per year than all other African wildlife.
They're even dangerous when they're dead!! Hippo skin is two inches thick, which makes it ideal for making whips. Whips made from hippo skin are called kiboko (the Swahili word for hippo) and they are capable of killing a man in only 10 blows.
Just in case their large size, bad temper, surprising speed, huge teeth and thick skin wasn't enough to scare you off... they also sweat blood. ... Ok, not really. Their skin secretes an oily red substance that helps to protect them from the sun, but it looks like they're sweating blood.
Even the late Steve Irwin (a man who we all know to be fearless) has said that a five minute sequence where his camera team had to cross a river filled with hippos was the single most dangerous moment ever filmed on his show.
