LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Hippopotamus: Animals
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As many as three species of Malagasy Hippopotamus became extinct during the Holocene on Madagascar, one of them within the past 1,000 years. The Malagasy Hippos were smaller than the modern hippopotamus, likely through the process of insular dwarfism.[15] There is fossil evidence that many Malagasy Hippos were hunted by humans, a likely factor in their eventual extinction.[16][15] Isolated members of Malagasy Hippopotamus may have survived in remote pockets; in 1976, villagers described a living animal called the Kilopilopitsofy, which may have been a Malagasy Hippopotamus.[17]
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The river hippopotamus is a massively built animal with a big head, broad muzzle and barrel-shaped body with short legs. Sometimes the body is colored slightly red by a gland secretion, giving rise to an old superstition that hippos "sweat blood." It is a protection against the sun and probably against infection. Hippos swim very well and dive for periods averaging 5-6 minutes. Hippo babies are frequently born underwater, and nurse underwater as well. They live in groups of 5-15 (sometimes up to 30) which may at times join together into larger herds.
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The principle threats to the hippopotamus are loss of essential grazing lands to cultivation and encroaching human settlement and unregulated or illegal hunting (6) (9). Due to increased development and human population growth, these large animals have ... run into frequent conflict with humans, and have been said to kill more people in Africa than any other animal, attacking when feeling threatened (3). The species is a notorious crop-raider and can cause extensive damage through grazing and trampling. In certain countries, farmers can file a complaint about hippopotamuses damaging their crops, after which officials can legally kill the offending animals. Unfortunately, farmers have sometimes been suspected of filing false claims of damage so as to not have to worry about this potential threat in the future (9). Unregulated or illegal hunting is also a significant threat, with this enormous animal being prized by hunters for its meat, skins and ivory (6) (8) (9).
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The hippopotamus is recognizable for its barrel-shaped torso, enormous mouth and teeth, hairless body, stubby legs and tremendous size. It is similar in size to the White Rhinoceros; only elephants are consistently larger. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it can easily outrun a human. Hippos have been clocked at 30 mph (48 km/h) while running short distances, faster than an olympic sprinter. The hippopotamus is among the most dangerous and aggressive of all animals, and are thought to be Africa's most dangerous animal. There are an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 hippos remaining throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, of which Zambia (40,000) and Tanzania (20,000-30,000) have the largest populations [1].
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The hippopotamus is a social animal, living in groups of 10 to 30 animals. They have even been seen in much larger groups of up to 200 animals! The herd has several cows and several bulls (males), but there is one dominant bull. He has the right to mate with all cows in his herd, although he will sometimes allow subordinate bulls in and around his territory to mate. The dominant bull reminds other hippos of his territory by flinging his dung as far as possible with his fan-shaped tail! When rival bulls meet, they stand nose to nose with their mouths open as wide as possible, up to 150 degrees.
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Although no fossil evidence has been dated within the last 1,000 years, the hippopotamus has been surprisingly common in the oral legends of the Malagasy. In 1648, Étienne de Flacourt became the French governor of Madagascar and he wrote in his Histoire de la grande isle de Madagascar about hearing stories from the Malagasy about an animal called the Mangarsahoc which closely resembled the hippopotamus. In different regions of Madagascar, stories were recorded of the tsy-aomby-aomby, the omby-rano, and the laloumena, all animals that resembled hippopotami, but few other animals on the island. In 1902, a colonial administrator named Raybaud asserted that stories he heard in the Highlands could only be about Malagasy Hippos still living as late as 1878.[6] The strength of these oral traditions led the IUCN to classify the Malagasy Hippopotami as recent extinctions.[8][7]
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