Hippos are territorial by nature, however, when there’s a baby in question, their protective instincts are taken to a new level; as this hippo mother demonstrated.
What makes this sighting special to watch is the way the figures are quite clear against the backdrop of the shadowy hues of night. This is because the eyes of the animals shine like lights as the spotlight coming from the game viewing vehicle shines on them.
Mother hippo seen wading through water
The mother hippo could be seen wading through the water. She was purposeful in her gait and it would soon become evident why.
Second set of eyes spotted, moving through water
Game viewers could see the hippo’s eyes shining against the backdrop of night as she moved along. However, a second set of eyes soon appeared. It was evident that they belonged to a croc as they belonged to a long figure which moved like a streak against the black of the nighttime water.
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The crocodile swam towards the hippo. While this sneaky crocodile hoped to keep a low profile, it was only a matter of time before he got caught out.
The crocs eyes gave away his presence. He seemed as purposeful as the hippo, which was moving on ahead of him.
Baby hippo’s eyes seen in memorable moment
It soon became quite clear that this hippo was actually a mother, and her purposeful strides were made as an effort to get near to her little one. The baby hippos eyes also lit up and there were now three sets of eyes.
The mother hippo was clearly aware of the crocodile in the water and she turned to face him.
The crocodile paused in the water, as the mother hippo rose to intimidate him. She barreled through the water towards him, determined to chase him away. Just like that he disappeared.
It was beautiful to see how the tiny hippo stayed so close to its mother. The mother hippo presented a formidable front. No crocodile was going to get close to her baby! She was willing to churn up the water and put on quite a display to ensure this.
Second crocodile is revealed in the darkened waters
All seemed peaceful for a moment, however, another set of crocodile eyes could soon be seen emerging from the water. The diligent mother hippo quickly turned to face the shadowy figure and she started moving in its direction.
Her baby moved close to her…. and it’s no wonder why… this mother was a powerhouse of muscle, sinew, big teeth and love. Much as the first crocodile had, the second crocodile quickly backed off.
This memorable sighting was another reminder of the beautiful bonds which exist between mothers and their offspring in the wild. There are many threats to little animals in the bushveld, however, the mother animals are often prepared to put everything on the line to fight for their young ones.
This provides for incredible, heartwarming viewing.
