- Why
do the hippos always seem to be sleeping?
- Hippos
eat at night and sleep during the day.
-
- What
time of the day are they the most active at the zoo?
- The
hippos usually sleep right after they finish their breakfast. By
about 2:00 p.m., they start waking up and swimming in their pool,
anticipating their afternoon meal (about 4:00 p.m.). They love
to play in the water while the pool is filling after its cleaning
(Tuesday and Friday mornings at about 9:30-10:00 a.m.).
-
- Why
are the hippos so fat?
- Since
the hippos sleep all day in cold water, they need a good layer
of insulation to avoid hypothermia. Hippos in captivity do not
get the exercise that they would in the wild, since they don’t
have to look for their own food. Therefore, we carefully monitor
how much they eat to keep them at a healthy weight.
-
- Where
are the hippos?
- Sometimes
they sleep right up against the edge of the pool or right outside
the doors to their barn where it is difficult to see them. On cold
days (40 degrees Fahrenheit [4 deg. C] or lower), keepers give
them access to or lock them inside their warm barn.
- Are
the hippos dangerous?
- Very!
In Africa, hippos kill many people each year. Hippos can run
up to 20 mph (32 kmh) for a short distance and are great swimmers.
They crush their victims with their massive jaws and large tusks
that can grow up to 20 inches (51 cm) long.
- Do
hippos have predators?
- Very
few predators will attack an adult hippo. Lions, hyenas and crocodiles
prey on young hippos and sick or old adult hippos. Humans are
the main predator, as they hunt hippos for their hides, meat
and ivory tusks.
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