Hippo Chases and Tries to Bite Tourists, TikTok Video of Animal Attack Amasses 6.5M Views

• A TikTok video shows the moment when some people's safari went completely wrong because of an angry hippo
• The clip shows the moment that a large hippo began charging at a group of tourists who were watching it
• Peeps reacted to the hippo attack in the video, and hippo expert with 30 years of experience, Karen Paolillo, shared insight into possible reasons behind the attack

A video on TikTok shows the moment when a hippo lashed out. In the clip, tourists were enjoying a close-up view of the hippo, which lost its temper. 

The video of the hippo garnered more than 100,000 likes. There were thousands of divided comments from people who found the video amusing while others were horrified. 

Hippo goes after tourists 

In a TikTok video by @elleafricasafaris, a hippo began running after a safari vehicle. The large animal chased the tourists and managed to bite the car for a moment.

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Founder of Turgwe Hippo Trust's SaveTheHippos, Karen Paolillo, who has studied hippos for 30 years in Zimbabwe's Turgwe River, explained the possible reason behind the hippo's aggression in the clip:

"The hippo that chased that vehicle had either just had a fight with another hippo or a vehicle had earlier frightened him. Or it was a young female and her calf was nearby and she was defending her area from the vehicle."

Watch the video below:

Expert discusses hippo behaviour and safety

Karen explained to Briefly News that most wild animal attacks occur because people are overfamiliar with being too close, loud, and aggressive when the animal doesn't want any disturbance. The hippo enthusiast with three decades worth of knowledge shared insight into how to know when a hippo is feeling threatened. She said:

"A hippo opens his mouth when afraid, to say look at my big mouth and teeth, or in play to play pushing games with other hippos, [they] also yawn like we do. To show anger if threatened then his eyes will be tight and angry looking, he will flick his ears a lot and come forward at you in a mock charge."

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In a show of dedication to hippos, Karen has been pictured next to a hippo, a privilege she has earned through decades of hard work. She was photographed with a young male hippo named Steve who was kicked out of his family due to the birth of a male calf, a common practice among hippos. Karen reflected with Briefly News:

"To have a bond with a wild animal is amazing but it can take a long time to build up their trust with you and it is not something that happens just like that. You also need to be able to read their behaviour towards you. Like watching people and seeing how they react to you."

Online users joke about angry hippo 

People found the video fascinating as many noted it was a close call. One person said that they found the hippo to be cut, but BBC Wildlife highlights that hippos kill an average of 500 people a year due to their large size and teeth.

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Hippos are considered the most dangerous land mammals, beating lions, and on average kill 70-250 people per year. Karen highlighted to Briefly News that hippos are not predatory, but they will defend themselves:

"They are herbivores, so [they] do not want to hurt a human but because they are very fast (faster than us on land) and large and have a lot of teeth, if you upset a hippo by approaching too closely or being the attacker and he cannot flee, it can hurt you. You must allow all wild animals their space."

B E L L A 💐🤍 said:

"No, because why is it so cute!"

Barb1944 wrote:

"People don’t realise that a hippo is a ferocious beast at certain times, have you seen the size of their teeth and mouth!☹️😍"

Slow added:

"That's why I don't trust any animals. People will tell you that a dog with teeth won't bite you. I don't like trouble, even snakes, I don't like them."

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🅿️ joked:

"Come on guys, I just wanted to give you insurance quotes."

InvestorMartin noted:

"The lady is screaming nicely 🥰"

user4084567284619 was amused:

"Moto moto means business 😂"

MUGAGGA💔 asked:

"What if the petrol finished?"

Siyanda sengane wondered:

"But then how are they not screaming? 😳 Because mina, I’d wake every animal in the wild 😂"

Brandon was unimpressed:

"This could have gone so wrong and she’s laughing 😬"

Laney Rada remarked:

"It looks like they were too close to begin with, which is prohibited.."

4 More animal attack stories

• Briefly News reported on a man who thought he was on good terms with a dog he hugged but it had a different idea soon after the affectionate moment.
• One baboon went after a pair of lovebirds who were on foot after leaving their car open in the wild.
• Young men were scared for their lives after running into an enraged pit bull in a TikTok video.
• A leopard thought it found the perfect meal after spotting a man on a motorbike and a dog.

Source: Briefly News