Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus / Hippopotamus amphibius
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Habitat: |
In the bush and water basins on the territory of the entire country. Most often, it is encountered on the Northern side of the Zambezi valley. |
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Size: |
A typical male is about 150 cm. tall at the withers and weighs up to 2000 kg. A female weighs up to 1600 kg. Life-span – up to 40 years. |
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Habits: |
A typical herd animal. Only the old males chased out of the herd may be encountered by themselves. A herbivorous animal – Hippopotamus does not eat leaves, so look for it at spots with lush grass and not lush shrubs. Particularly aggressive, it will attack if its sanitary minimum has been trespassed or if wounded. Guards a strictly marked territory. Very enduring to wounds and chase. |
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Hunting advice: |
Most often, it is hunted on land by stalking or in the water. Aim at the head if the animal is too close to you. From a distance, we recommend to shoot at the chest. A wounded Hippopotamus is like a train headed towards you. We do not suggest hunting Hippos in the water – this is as close to an execution as it can get. |
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Caliber: |
We recommend a caliber of minimum .416. In actual fact, the minimum caliber allowed is .375 НН Magnum, but it is a slightly light of a stopper for this mass. A Hippo’s skin is very thick and it is useless to use a soft-point bullet. |
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Trophy: |
The tusks and tail. It is possible to have the tusks with part of the jaws. We do not recommend preparation in Africa. |
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Location: |
Widely spread in all hunting territories we offer in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, RSA, Botswana, Zambia and Tanzania. The chance to shoot one in Namibia is slim and even if there is such a possibility, it will be in a fenced territory. |