An angry hippo attempted to take a bite out of a safari vehicle in a rare encounter captured in video on the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana.
The hippo, presumed to have just lost a territorial battle, was looking to take out its frustration “on whatever was nearby,” and, unfortunately, the vehicle full of tourists became the target.
Matimba Just Safari captured footage of the charging hippo and posted it on Facebook.
The hippo didn’t rip off any part of the vehicle but left a pretty good dent in the side, along with some frazzled tourists.
“It’s rare to witness a hippo charging a safari vehicle,” Matimba Just Safari stated on its post. “There are probably only a handful of videos like this online…
Also on FTW Outdoors: Hippo charges tourists in
‘terrifying moment’ in Botswana (video)
“This hippo had just come out of the water to graze. We were parked across from him, simply watching from a distance. We weren’t blocking his path back to the pool, which is a golden rule of the bush, as getting between a hippo and its water can be extremely dangerous…
“It was only later that we understood why (it decided to charge). Looking back at the footage, we noticed how agitated he was and saw the fresh signs of a fight; one of his massive tusks had been knocked loose and was hanging out of place. He had likely just lost a territorial battle minutes earlier and was looking to take his frustration out on whatever was nearby.
“We simply happened to be in the wrong place at exactly the right time in Botswana’s Moremi Game Reserve. It goes to show that certain safari destinations are incredibly raw and wild, which is exactly why experience is essential.
“Our guide read the situation perfectly noticing the hippo’s strange behavior in a split second, he hit the gas just in time to get us out of harm's way.”
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Angry hippo tries taking bite out of safari vehicle in rare video
