Dr. Rebecca Lewison

more people than any other African animal.

Yes, exactly. That's who started this whole thing. It was the mosquito lobby trying to point the finger at hippos.

Yes, exactly. That's who started this whole thing. It was the mosquito lobby trying to point the finger at hippos.

Yes, exactly. That's who started this whole thing. It was the mosquito lobby trying to point the finger at hippos.

I don't think that's true, Debra. Okay. I think bubbles and wiggling is not the thing you have to worry about. I think the real thing you have to worry about, people ask me like, what do I do to sort of like fend off an attack? And you know, the answer is like, wait, why are you in a place where hippos can attack you? The thing we need to do is avoid them and not be in those spaces.

I don't think that's true, Debra. Okay. I think bubbles and wiggling is not the thing you have to worry about. I think the real thing you have to worry about, people ask me like, what do I do to sort of like fend off an attack? And you know, the answer is like, wait, why are you in a place where hippos can attack you? The thing we need to do is avoid them and not be in those spaces.

I don't think that's true, Debra. Okay. I think bubbles and wiggling is not the thing you have to worry about. I think the real thing you have to worry about, people ask me like, what do I do to sort of like fend off an attack? And you know, the answer is like, wait, why are you in a place where hippos can attack you? The thing we need to do is avoid them and not be in those spaces.

Now, if you're a commercial fisherman in an area that has hippos, you know, it's a different situation, but most of us aren't.

Now, if you're a commercial fisherman in an area that has hippos, you know, it's a different situation, but most of us aren't.

Now, if you're a commercial fisherman in an area that has hippos, you know, it's a different situation, but most of us aren't.

No, they are not monogamous. They don't mate for life. And in fact, they don't really form bonds like that. So hippos are something called polygynous, which means there's a single male, the dominant male, and lots of females that he probably mates with. Hello, ladies. And that herd is like that, sort of with one male and lots of females until...

No, they are not monogamous. They don't mate for life. And in fact, they don't really form bonds like that. So hippos are something called polygynous, which means there's a single male, the dominant male, and lots of females that he probably mates with. Hello, ladies. And that herd is like that, sort of with one male and lots of females until...

No, they are not monogamous. They don't mate for life. And in fact, they don't really form bonds like that. So hippos are something called polygynous, which means there's a single male, the dominant male, and lots of females that he probably mates with. Hello, ladies. And that herd is like that, sort of with one male and lots of females until...

another dominant male comes over and challenges that hippo for that territory so when you see the you know national geographic pictures of two hippos with big gapes sort of going at it with those big teeth we were talking about like what those are for those are territory fights for control over one of those polygynous herds got it they're kind of like in a bar fight

another dominant male comes over and challenges that hippo for that territory so when you see the you know national geographic pictures of two hippos with big gapes sort of going at it with those big teeth we were talking about like what those are for those are territory fights for control over one of those polygynous herds got it they're kind of like in a bar fight

another dominant male comes over and challenges that hippo for that territory so when you see the you know national geographic pictures of two hippos with big gapes sort of going at it with those big teeth we were talking about like what those are for those are territory fights for control over one of those polygynous herds got it they're kind of like in a bar fight

Exactly.

Exactly.

Exactly.

And the answer is we know almost nothing about hippo communication. Why not? They're communicating in the air like we are, but they're also communicating in the water. And we don't really understand how they're doing it. We can record them. And people have done that. And they describe sort of clicks and other types of noises underwater.