OPEN WIDE!
See those teeth? Those big
chompers at the front of this
hippo's mouth are actually tusks.
In the wild, where hippos live in
slow-moving rivers and lakes in
Africa, they use them to protect
their homes. They can move
extremely fast underwater, and
use these tusks to scare off other
animals – sometimes even people
– who come near.
Hippos spend most of their day in
the water keeping cool. They can
hold their breath underwater for
up to 30 minutes by slowing their
heart rate down!!
When it's not too hot they might
come out of the river to play in the
mud. At night they head up
the banks to feed on grass.
Hippos live in a group – called a pod,
herd or sometimes a crash – of
between five and 20 animals.
COME
AND
VISIT
US!
There
are
five
hippos
–
Primrose,
Brindabella,
Tulip,
Lotus
and
Pansy
–
living
at
Werribee
Open
Range
Zoo.
