Are there really hippos somewhere around here? You can’t see anything. But yes, over there! Only small ears and nostrils are sticking out of the water. The hippo is dozing contentedly and cooling off. The African sun can be very hot. That’s why the gray giant prefers to spend time in the water. In it, it moves almost weightlessly—even with that massive body! It only comes onto land at night to graze in the meadow. With its heavy body, it trudges along laboriously on short legs. But we shouldn’t underestimate it. Once a hippo starts running, it can reach quite a speed on land. So be careful!
