Dr. Rebecca Lewison

So they haven't gotten a lot of funding. The hippo community is thin on the ground. Oh. Well, you mentioned big ears.

So they haven't gotten a lot of funding. The hippo community is thin on the ground. Oh. Well, you mentioned big ears.

So they haven't gotten a lot of funding. The hippo community is thin on the ground. Oh. Well, you mentioned big ears.

That is a good question. We don't really know, but it could have to do with the fact that most animals that develop in the water, like sea lions, have pretty tiny ears, right? And so I think we don't tend to see animals that have, you know, come up evolutionarily in the water with big ears.

That is a good question. We don't really know, but it could have to do with the fact that most animals that develop in the water, like sea lions, have pretty tiny ears, right? And so I think we don't tend to see animals that have, you know, come up evolutionarily in the water with big ears.

That is a good question. We don't really know, but it could have to do with the fact that most animals that develop in the water, like sea lions, have pretty tiny ears, right? And so I think we don't tend to see animals that have, you know, come up evolutionarily in the water with big ears.

I have been on it.

I have been on it.

I have been on it.

I don't remember engaging too many people, but I certainly told my whole family and the people I was with, this is not accurate. There's a lot of that. The one thing people ask me when they find out that I work on hippos is kind of where we started. Do they really kill more people than any African animal? I don't know who started that, but it certainly wasn't me. And I don't think it's accurate.

I don't remember engaging too many people, but I certainly told my whole family and the people I was with, this is not accurate. There's a lot of that. The one thing people ask me when they find out that I work on hippos is kind of where we started. Do they really kill more people than any African animal? I don't know who started that, but it certainly wasn't me. And I don't think it's accurate.

I don't remember engaging too many people, but I certainly told my whole family and the people I was with, this is not accurate. There's a lot of that. The one thing people ask me when they find out that I work on hippos is kind of where we started. Do they really kill more people than any African animal? I don't know who started that, but it certainly wasn't me. And I don't think it's accurate.

It is not fact-based. I think snakes kill way more people than hippos. I think the reason it started sort of this urban legend is because it's surprising. It's surprising that for people to know how fast they move on land. And the answer is faster than us. You know, maybe 19, 20 miles an hour they can run. They can move extremely fast in the water.

It is not fact-based. I think snakes kill way more people than hippos. I think the reason it started sort of this urban legend is because it's surprising. It's surprising that for people to know how fast they move on land. And the answer is faster than us. You know, maybe 19, 20 miles an hour they can run. They can move extremely fast in the water.

It is not fact-based. I think snakes kill way more people than hippos. I think the reason it started sort of this urban legend is because it's surprising. It's surprising that for people to know how fast they move on land. And the answer is faster than us. You know, maybe 19, 20 miles an hour they can run. They can move extremely fast in the water.

And I think that there has been an increase in hippo-human conflict. And that takes people by surprise because they're not particularly aggressive, I think, naturally. I think what we're really seeing is habitat loss. They're under tremendous pressure. And so the number of attacks is on the rise. But I just want to tell people now, I don't think hippos kill humans.

And I think that there has been an increase in hippo-human conflict. And that takes people by surprise because they're not particularly aggressive, I think, naturally. I think what we're really seeing is habitat loss. They're under tremendous pressure. And so the number of attacks is on the rise. But I just want to tell people now, I don't think hippos kill humans.

And I think that there has been an increase in hippo-human conflict. And that takes people by surprise because they're not particularly aggressive, I think, naturally. I think what we're really seeing is habitat loss. They're under tremendous pressure. And so the number of attacks is on the rise. But I just want to tell people now, I don't think hippos kill humans.

more people than any other African animal.

more people than any other African animal.