English: Hippopotamus; French: Hippopotame; Acholi: Raa; Afrikaans: Seekoei; Amharic: Gumari; Arabic: Girinti-Gumarre; Chilala: Mourvu; Damara: !khaos; Fouladou: Gabbu; Galla: Robi; Gbaya: ngube; Hausa: Dorina; Igbo: enyimmiri; Iswana: Kúbú; Karamojong: Epiria; Kirundu: imvubu; Kiswahili: Kiboko; Kung: n!a, n’gao; Kwanyama: Ongololo; Luganda: Envubu; Lozi: Kùbú; Massai: Ol Makue, olmakau; Ndorobo: Mahaita; Nganguela: Ngueve; Ovambo: Ongombe omeva; Peulh: Ngabu; Sango: ngùbù, kono, mbimba, dôli-te; Sesuto: Ikubu; Shangan: Mvubu; Shona: Mvun, ngwindi; Sindebele: Mvubu; Somali: Zir; Sotho: Kubu; Swazi: Immubu; Tswana: Kubu; Wolof: Léé Béér; Xhose: Imwubu; Yoruba: Erin-Omi, erinmi; Zulu: Imwubu.
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Former distribution: In all big rivers, streams and lakes with deep water; south and east from the Sahara, from the Nile, south to the Cape and west to Senegal.
Present distribution: Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Lake Chad, western Chad, Gabon, Congo, (Spanish) Guinea, Sudan 50 km south of Khartoum, Ethiopia, southern Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Zaire, Central African Republic, Zambia, Angola, Malawi, north-eastern Namibia, northern Botswana, Zimbabwe and in South Africa in Natal.
Behaviour: Preferred habitat: they live gregariously usually in groups of up to 10, but often in larger numbers. They are nocturnal grass feeders. Deep water localities with suitable areas of reeds and marshes. During the day they hide in and under the water for up to 20 minutes. Predators of the pups include hyenas and lions.
Population status: Stable.
Brief notes:
Body weight: 1500-3200 kg
Head and body length: 320-420 cm
Tail length: 35-50 cm
Shoulder height: 140-165 cm
Gestation period: 240 days
Maximum age: Up to 45 years (in captivity 50 years)
Trophy: Tusk record RW’s: 64 1/2″ 7 1/4″, 1909, Kenya, F.J. JACKSON; average 25″. SCI: 88″ score, 1963, Tanzania, BERT KLINEBURGER; average 25″. CIC: 163.83 points, 24.77 (64 1/2″, 9 3/4″), Congo, DUC D’ORLEANS COLL.
Subspecies: 4
Remarks: The validity of the 4 subspecies seems doubtful; they are not, therefore, listed here. A revision is required.
