Hippo Casually Strolls Across a Neighborhood Street in South Africa Like It’s NBD
Talk about something you don't see very often...or ever! In Saint Lucia, South Africa a hippo casually strolling through a neighborhood stopped traffic as surprised onlookers captured it on video. ABC News shared the video the morning of Friday, April 19th, and it's pretty amazing to see!
A Dutch tourist recorded the hippo as it meandered across the street, taking its sweet time. It was in no hurry and didn't care that he was holding up traffic. Make sure your sound is up so that you can hear the delighted surprise in the tourist's voice!
This would be so cool to see! ABC News commenters had mixed feelings about the wandering hippo. @Stevie Snipes said, "Something amazing and impressive!" @Cloudy Blue moon shared, "Hope he got out of there safely." Others were less impressed. "Hippos are very dangerous, they’re stupid to get near it." and another added, "Hippos are very dangerous... I would be very afraid to be on foot and run into this guy." They're not wrong! Hippos can run up to 30 MPH so there's no chance you could outrun it to get away from it!
Related: Cincinnati Zookeeper Explains How Hippos Giant Mouths Actually Work
Saint Lucia and It's Famous Hippos
Turns out, seeing hippos roaming through neighborhoods in Saint Lucia isn't as odd as it sounds. According to Culture Trip, "St. Lucia on the KwaZulu-Natal coast is quite likely the only place in the world where it is advisable for visitors to brush up on their hippo meet-and-greet etiquette before they arrive."
The article goes on to say that it's a unique village known for its roaming free-range hippos. "The town lies on the largest estuary system on the African continent and falls within South Africa’s first ever World Heritage Site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, housing the biggest population of hippos in the country. Another reason is that hippos eat up to 77 pounds of grass a day, so a lush, long overgrown suburban lawn is like a buffet table to them."
During the day the hippos keep to themselves, napping under trees and taking dips in the water. It's at night that they all go looking for food, and it's also the time that you're most likely to cross paths with one...but that doesn't mean you should run up and grab a selfie with the laid-back village hippos.
"Getting snappy-happy around them, however, is not advised, so don’t attempt a selfie with a hippo. Although slightly more even-tempered on land than when in water, it is best to admire these enormous animals from a distance. Take photographs once you have firmly secured your own safety. After all, Africa is the only continent where hippos still exist, and St. Lucia is the only town in the world where you may bump into one while on an evening stroll."
Not only could you meet a hippo on a stroll, but you could run into crocodiles since they roam the neighborhoods, too. It doesn't sound like a tourist destination that I'd want to visit!
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