Hippos in St Lucia South Africa
Hippos in St Lucia South Africa
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St Lucia South Africa Hippo Facts
Hippo Facts
St Lucia, South Africa is situated in KwaZulu Natal and is also situated within iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa's very first world heritage site. The town is almost entirely surrounded by water on the west side the St Lucia Estuary the largest in Africa and on the east side the Indian Ocean.
St Lucia and the surrounding area is home to a large variety of wildlife including an approximate number of 800 Hippos. These Hippos reside in the estuary by day and they may be viewed while out on a Hippo and Croc boat cruise. These tours run daily and if possible try to join the sunset trips as they are just incredible. These Hippos graze an incredible amount of grass each evening and thus some of the Hippos can be seen each evening grazing on the lawns in the town of St Lucia. What an incredible sight I assure you. Should you be overnighting At Heritage House then you are certainly in for a treat as they are seen quite regularly outside the property.
It is estimated that each Hippo will graze up to 30 kilograms of grass each evening. The name Hippopotamus means river horse and is commonly referred to as a Hippo. The Hippo is also the third largest land mammal.
More Hippo Facts
- Weigh up to 3.5 tons
- Lifespan up to 50 years in the wild
- Gestation 240 days
- 12 Feet long and up to 5 feet tall
- Habitat Rivers and Swamps
- Hippos can be incredibly aggressive
- Hippos move easier in water than land
- They can not swim, but rather walk on the bottom
- Stay under water up to 6 minutes
- A single young is born and can stay under water up to half a minute
Where to Find Hippos in St Lucia South Africa
After dark is the very best time to witness a Hippo out of the water, their are numerous Hippos roaming the town of St Lucia at night. One may be casually walking to one of the restaurants at night and bump into a Hippo. Please do keep your distance and refrain from making loud noises. Stay on the opposite side of the road, these are not domesticated Hippos so caution must be taken. The majority of Hippos that do graze in town have done so for years they are therefore more accustomed to people. This by no means that they are domesticated please do note. Take a drive around town and the outskirts you are more than likely to spot a Hippo. Once again please do not try and corner this animal as if they feel that they are being cornered you may encounter some trouble.