Hippos at sunset, time lapse, Duba Plains, Okavango Delta, Botswana

The African hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) are enormous animals that can weigh over 3000kg. Hippos spend much of their time in water, although as an interesting fact, they cannot swim. Typically, at night, but sometimes during the day, hippos will emerge from the water to graze on grasses. They are considered one of the most, if not the most dangerous mammals in Africa. Attacks often occur on people in boats or the canoe like mokoros used in the Okavango, or while swimming, or inadvertently getting in between hippos and water. Hippo’s often live in pods or large groups, held together by a dominant male. The best territories near good grazing or at river confluences are often held by powerful bulls. This video is a time lapse of a hippo pod from just before sunset to after sunset. The pods home is prime territory, situated at the confluence of two rivers at Duba Plains, Botswana. I set the camera on a large termite mound to film. Not only can you see the dramatic colour changes that occur in Africa at sunset, but also the activity of the dozens of hippos before dark as they prepare to leave the water to graze. Note the large bull hippo at about 1:32 that comes out of the water to aggressively approach us, warning us away from the hippo trail. Remember that this is taken with a wide-angle lens so you can imagine how close that hippo is to the camera! I will publish the full-length version of this video with sound if you want to hear the grunts and bellows of hippos and the sounds of an African sunset (including a great many insects).