Hippo Mating & Gestation - St Lucia South Africa

Sensitive Content Warning. Male hippos are intensely territorial, aggressively guarding sections of the Mara River that form their domain. Control of these areas ensures access to both resources and breeding opportunities. Confrontations between rival males can be brutal and prolonged, sometimes lasting for hours, with wide gaping jaws, tusks reaching up to 50 cm, and violent clashes involving biting, ramming, and powerful thrashing in the water - encounters that can occasionally prove fatal. 📷

Say hello to Matylda and Manon 🦛🦛 These sisters are the first hippos to arrive at Longleat in more than 40 years. Four-year-old Matylda and three-year-old Manon will be joined by mother and son Lola and Hodor from Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire in the next couple of weeks. It's hope they can be part of a breeding programme in the future. | BBC Wiltshire