Hippos in the Aquarium
Here is an amazing
creature! No, he (actually she) wasn’t in my immediate backyard but she was
close by in the Camden Aquarium. There were two hippos swimming around in a
tank where visitors could observe.
Hippopotamus is Greek for river horse. The adult visitors
were entranced by how such a large animal could swim so gracefully; a female hippopotamus
weighs about 2,000 - 3,000 lbs. and a male can weigh 3,000 – 4,000 lbs. on
average. The kids just wanted to touch the hippos as they came up to the glass.
The hippos seemed as curious about the people as we were about them. It may
have been that when they see people they anticipate getting fed and that is
what happened. Large plant leaves were tossed into the tank and the hippos
lunged for them.
It's hard to believe that these huge creatures are somewhat
delicate. Their skin burns easily so they tend to eat in the morning hours when the sun isn’t too
strong and spend a good part of the day in the cool water. They are also vegetarian.
But don’t let their gentle eating habits fool you. They are not always friendly
and can be aggressive.
wary at the same
time. It makes me think of how all aspects of nature resonates with the whole
of
nature. Like a
big, if somewhat diverse family. Perhaps if we can appreciate nature’s wide
diversity, we
can do the same with people.
Lots to know about hippos:
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