Tragic hippo tot is tossed around by crocodile after young animal is snatched while its mother had her back turned

By SIMON TOMLINSON

Treated like a rag doll: An enormous crocodile tosses a young hippo calf around in its jaws near Lower Sabie in Kruger National Park

Splashing around in the water with macabre glee, a crocodile flings a young hippo calf around in its jaws like a rag doll.
The giant predator reared out of the water to reveal the tiny carcass after apparently snatching its prey while its mother's back was turned.
Amateur photographer Roland Ross captured these incredible photographs near Lower Sabie in Kruger Park, South Africa.

Hunter and the hunted: The giant predator reared out of the water to reveal the tiny carcass, before tossing it through the air like a toy

Mr Ross was watching the huge crocodile swimming in a small dam when he was shocked by the brutal scene.
Mr Ross said: 'I could see the croc had something in its mouth as it began to come our way.

Snapped up: Amateur photographer Roland Ross captured these incredible photographs when the crocodile was swimming in a small dam

'The crocodile then began to perform all sorts of antics with the baby hippo.
'It was throwing it in the air, spinning and jumping and splashing.'

Dinner time: Mr Ross watched the crocodile's performance for around 25 minutes before it took its food into deeper water and disappeared from sight

Mr Ross, who was on holiday with his wife when the events unfolded, was stunned by the size of the animal as average crocodiles in the area grow to around four meters.
Ross said: 'We didn't see any kill take place. The hippo could have been dead for any number of reasons, sometimes male hippos will occasionally kill babies too.

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You're right, it's a loose filling mum! Baby hippo bonds with its mother by poking head into her mouth

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Open wide! A baby East African River Hippopotamus, called Adhama, imitates his mother Funani at a zoo in San Diego, California

Hippos are among the most aggressive creatures in the animal kingdom.
So you can imagine what they get like with a spot of toothache.
Here it would seem baby East African river hippo-potamus Adhama is examining his mother Funani’s incisors for a problem.

Bonding time: The calf seems undisturbed by his mother's huge teeth as he plunges his head into her mouth

Experts, however, suggest the mother and child – pictured at a zoo in San Diego in the United States – were probably just bonding.
The pair were also seen opening their mouths together in a large gape – an action that marks their territory.

Happy hippos: The pair were making the most of their time together by playing underwater games

Like mother, like son: Adhama and his mother Funani, pictured happily posing for the cameras, are a star attraction at the zoo

A piggyback ride: Adhama climbs on to his mother's back as she swims around the pool

source: dailymail

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Nature, red in tooth and claw: Stunning pictures show battle to the death between hippo and two lions

By LEON WATSON

Fight to the death: A lion gets onto the hippo's back and the other attacks from the front at the Sabi Sands Game reserve in South Africa

These amazing shots show a fight to the death between two lions and a hippo.
After attacking and driving the hippo into deep water, the pair of lions play a waiting game, lying still on nearby rocks for two hours before the hippo ventures out. Having waited for it to get clear of its bolt-hole, the lions pounce and the plucky juvenile hippo puts up a fight, chasing them away.
But one lion gets onto the hippo's back and the other attacks from the front leaving the hippo charging with them to the nearest bit of a water in a bid to get them off.
But the water is shallow and the lions manage to flip the hippo over and drown it, before they are joined by a third lion for dinner.
Photographer Andrew Schoeman, 39, said: 'I was woken early one morning in the Sabi Sands Game reserve in South Africa by distress calls though I didn't know at that point it was a hippo.


Law of the jungle: The two lions start off by stalking the hippo in its pond bolthole

One of the lions ventures into the water in the Sabi Sands Game reserve, but is chased out

'From the scratches on the hippo I would guess that the lions had been going after the hippo for quite some time before I arrived.
'This carried on for a while and then the lions went to lay down on a rock close to the water's edge. About two hours passed and eventually the hippo slowly emerged from the water.
'The hippo seemed not to see the lions crouched close by as they were very still and did not move.

Waiting game: The two lions lie in wait behind a rock as the stand-off continues into
daylight

'I followed the noise and saw the young hippo between three to five-years-old in shallow water surrounded by the three lions.
'Every time the hippo wanted to get away, the lions would go for him and he would then retreat back into the water.
'I think the lions attacked the hippo earlier than when I got there and the hippo had managed to get into the pool of water that was too deep for the lions to go into.

Forced out of his bolthole and onto dry land, the hippo is set upon by a vicious lion

'From the scratches on the hippo I would guess that the lions had been going after the hippo for quite some time before I arrived.
'This carried on for a while and then the lions went to lay down on a rock close to the water's edge. About two hours passed and eventually the hippo slowly emerged from the water.
'The hippo seemed not to see the lions crouched close by as they were very still and did not move.

A lion leaps onto the hippo's back as the other one circles with intent. Blood can been seen on the target's back

'It looked around and all seemed clear, so he started walking away. The lions waited until he got about 50m from the pool of water before chasing after him.
'The first lion was chased off by the hippo but the second lion jumped onto the hippo's back which allowed the first lion to also grab hold of the hippo.
'At this point the hippo realised he was in trouble and headed for the river with both lions attached.


Both of the beasts are now in on the action with one on the hippo's back and the other biting it

The hippo, still under attack, makes a dash back into the water in an attempt to escape

A third lion enters the fray, leaping into the water to attack the hippo

'It ran into the water and the lions held on but as the water was now shallower than the first pool and the lions were able to stand, they hung on and managed to pull the hippo onto its side.
'They then flipped it over onto its back and held the hippo upside down in the water until it stopped moving, before they started to eat it.'
Mr Schoeman added: 'I have never seen anything like this before. Lions are very opportunistic and will catch what they can whenever they can.

It's three versus one now as the lions claws at the injured hippo in the pond. There is now no escape

With blood streaming out of it, the hippo lies stricken underwater as two of the lions sink their teeth into it

'I believe there are certain prides of lions that have learned to catch hippos but it is by no means a common occurrence.
'To be able to witness something like this in all its rawness was an amazing experience. It shows the true power of our natural world as well as these magnificent lions.
'Although it is not pleasant to see animals die and get killed it was a once in a lifetime experience.
'As a photographer I was thrilled to get these images and happy that the exposures were good and all in focus.'


Game over: Lions 1, hippo 0 as the poor creature is devoured in the water. It did put up quite a fight though

Mr Schoeman lives in Nelspruit South Africa, but has worked in lodges in South Africa, Tanzania and Botswana.
He was a full time guide for nine years before managing lodges in Tanzania and Botswana for three years.
During that time he was also a full time photographic guide and now hosts photographic groups to all the photographic hotspots across Africa including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

source: dailymail

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'We're wild about our mums': From hippos to lemurs, animals all over the world gear up for Mother's Day with shows of affection

By DAVID BAKER

Sleepy: A hippopotamus family take a quick rest in Maasai Mara in Kenya

With plenty of people making last ditch efforts to buy a card or flowers this Mother's Day it is clear we can learn a lot from the animal kingdom.
Because while we rush around to make last minute plans these pictures show the heartwarming closeness between animal mums and their loved ones.
From an African baby hippo hitching a ride on its mum's back, to a lemur cradling its young, these loving shots have been released by an award-winning British photographer.

Pride and joy: An ostrich tries to keep its pride together as the sun goes down in Maasai Mara, Kenya

Motherly love: A mother koala gives her baby a lift in Kangaroo Island, Australia

Top photographer, Steve Bloom, 59, travelled to every continents to capture mothers and their pride and joy.
He said: 'I was attracted to the relationship between mothers and their babies.'
'In the wild each animal must fight to survive, but mothers have to think about their precious young as well as themselves.

A lick-le bit of love: Three tiger cubs are lavished with affection from this African lioness seen in Maasai Mara, Kenya

Hold on tight: A baby ring-tailed lemur is smothered by its loving mother (left) and a baby orangutan holds on to its mother

I flipping love you: An Emperor penguin offers an outstretched flipper to help its offspring in Coulman Island, Antarctica

Care: A lioness carefully carries its young by the neck (left) while two snow monkeys huddle to fend off the cold

'Despite the pressure they are under, like the hard-pressed mothers they are, they still find quality time for their young.
'These pictures show that no matter how hard things are even in the perilous animal kingdom, families still make the effort to bond together.
'In fact it is these very bonds that can make the difference between life and death and allow each species to continue to survive down the generations.

Hopping mad about you: A ring-tailed lemur mother carries its young to safety in this picture taken in Berenty, Madagascar

Mothering: An albatross feeds its young while an African elephant walks alongside its calf


Pandering to its child: This panda keeps a close eye on its child in Sichuan, China

'In this sense I think many of us humans can learn a lot from the creatures shown in these pictures.
'I compiled the best of the shots that show this in my book My Favourite Animal Families.'
He travelled across Africa capturing tigers, lemurs and monkeys with their offspring whilst he also covered Asia, Australasia and even Antarctica to get these stunning shots.

Bear hug: This brown bear mother keeps its young cubs close by in Katmai National Park, Alaska

Helping hand: A mother giraffe gives its baby a push in the right direction while a polar bear looks out for its two youngsters in the snow

Mother's Day: With Mother's Day just around the corner British photographer Steve Bloom has released pictures like this one of an African elephant with its calf

Fending off the cold: These polar bears huddle together at Cape Churchill in Manitoba, Canada

Monkeying around: A baby gorilla (left) doesn't seem to take its mother's close grip too seriously while an orangutan hitches a ride on its mum's shoulders

source :dailymail

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Farmer gouged to death by pet hippo Humphrey who was 'like a son to him'

By DAN NEWLING

Playful: Marius Els with his pet hippo Humphrey at his farm in Free State, South Africa

Only earlier this year Mr Els, who was married, was pictured happily riding on his 1,200kg pet bull hippo's back.
'Humphrey's like a son to me, he's just like a human,' he said at the time.
'There's a relationship between me and Humphrey and that's what some people don't understand.

'They think you can only have a relationship with dogs, cats and domestic animals.
'But I have a relationship with the most dangerous animal in Africa.'
Mr Els kept 20 different species of exotic animals, including giraffe and rhino, on his farm near Klerksdorp in South Africa's north west.
But he developed a special fondness for Humphrey, whom he bought aged just five months and for whom he even built a special lake.

A South African farmer has been killed by the pet hippopotamus he raised from the age of five months, and which he once described as being 'like a son' to him.
Humphrey the Hippo gouged owner Marius Els, 41, to death by repeatedly biting him in a vicious attack on Saturday night.
The farmer's mutilated body was discovered submerged in a river running through his 400-acre farm in rural South Africa.

Hitching a ride: Mr Els claimed to have a unique bond with seven-year-old Humghrey, who lived on his farm near Klerksdorp, but he did admit that friends did not go near the animal

Humphrey was aged six and weighed more than a metric tonne when he attacked Mr Els.
While Mr Els appeared to revel in his status as the man who had tamed a hippo, he did recognise his pet's power and danger.
'If he decides to get me off his back, then he throws me over like a horse', Mr Els told an interviewer before his death, adding: 'My friends won't even go near him'
Humphrey's dangerous side was displayed in March this year when he tried to attack two canoeists as they made their way down the Vaal river.
A 52-year-old man and his seven-year-old grandson were forced to scramble out of their canoe and climb a tree when they were approached by Humphrey.
The terrified canoeists screamed and clapped in an attempt to drive the animal away from the tree - but Humphrey refused to move.

Pet: The pair splashed around with Mr Els completely at ease with the 1,200 kg animal

Mr Els eventually managed to lure the hippo away with an apple, explaining that he had only approached the pair because he was hungry.
Yesterday, a spokesman for one of South Africa's private ambulance services revealed that his staff were called to Mr Els' farm late on Saturday evening.
'Paramedics responded to the scene to find that the man had been bitten several times by the animal and had also been immersed in the river for an unknown period,' Jeffrey Wicks said.

Mr Wicks explained that the farmer was declared dead at the scene, but added it was not know for how long he had lain undiscovered.
Hippos are considered to one of the world's most dangerous animals. They are, by nature, very aggressive - especially when young calves are present.
They commonly attack humans with no apparent provocation, usually using their enormous canine teeth to gouge their victims.
They can weigh up to three tonnes and can travel at speeds of up to 30mph.

Tragic end: The South African farmer's mutilated body was discovered submerged in a river running through his 400 acre property. He had been dead for an unknown period of time

source: dailymail

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A baby hippopotamus lies next to its mother on the first day it was presented to the public at the Zoo Berlin zoo

BERLIN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 01: A baby hippopotamus lies next to its mother on the first day it was presented to the public at the Zoo Berlin zoo on November 1, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. The baby hippo was born at the zoo on October 23.


A baby hippo (no name given yet) lies next to its mother Nicole in their enclosure at the Zoo in Berlin on November 1, 2011. The youngster born on October 23rd is the latest addition to the hippo population at zoological garden in the German capital and was unveiled to the public this morning.


A hippopotamus calf and mother Nicole are pictured at the Berlin Zoo, November 1,2011. The yet unnamed calf was born in the zoo on October 23.


A hippopotamus calf and mother Nicole are pictured at the Berlin Zoo, November 1, 2011. The yet unnamed calf was born in the zoo on October 23.


BERLIN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 01: A baby hippopotamus swims with its mother on the first day it was presented to the public at the Zoo Berlin zoo on November 1, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. The baby hippo was born at the zoo on October 23.

BERLIN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 01: A baby hippopotamus lies next to its mother on the first day it was presented to the public at the Zoo Berlin zoo on November 1, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. The baby hippo was born at the zoo on October 23.

source: daylife
photo: Reuters pictures

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Nobody likes a trip to the dentist… least of all a 3,000lb hippo

By DANIEL MILLER

And how often do you brush? Tomy the hippopotamus endures a spot of dental work

This massive hippopotamus needed an urgent trip to the dentist after a problem with his teeth made him very hungry hungry indeed.

Tomy, 39, a favourite with his keepers at the Bayamon Zoo in Puerto Rico, was suffering from a painful malocclusion which prevented his lower teeth from wearing properly.

His condition had got so bad it was putting him off his food and his weight had plummeted to just 3000lbs, which for a hippo is dangerously low.


This might hurt a bit: Brave Tomy stays remarkably calm as the team of vets use a power saw to cut through his lower tooth


So chief veterinarian at North Carolina Zoo, Dr. Mike Loomis, went over to give Tomy a badly needed dental procedure.

Mike, along with veterinarians and keepers at the Parque de las Sciencias museums in Bayamon, have been treating the normally happy hippo for two decades and has made numerous trips to trim the animal's overgrown gnashers.


A well-deserved bath: With the dental work done Tomy enjoys a quick wallow in front of the assembled media


Unfortunately giving a hippo an anaesthetic is no mean feat due to their size, fat layer and lack of accessible veins.

So Mike and the team developed a technique to partially anesthetise Tomy and trim his teeth while he is in a sitting position.

After giving him just enough anaesthetic to be comfortable but not enough to knock him out completely they used a reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade to quickly trim his lower teeth.


Gargle and rinse: The 3,000lb beast sits like an obedient dog as he gratefully receives a refreshing hose down following his grueling ordeal


Mike said: 'The first time I performed the dental procedure on Tomy, his teeth had grown through his upper lip, making it very painful for him to chew.

'He was very thin, and I was concerned about the risk of anaesthesia. Since then, the zoo has done a great job of making sure his teeth are trimmed before they get to that point.'

source: dailymail

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