When hippos fly? A new and surprising discovery

Hippos are so cool

The natural world is filled with countless wonders. Despite the passage of time and advancements in knowledge and technology, it continues to astound us. Don't believe it? Keep reading.

Step aside, Dumbo!

You probably have heard of butterflies, dragonflies, and houseflies. But have you heard of flying hippos? Well, it’s less unlikely than you might think!

When hippos fly!

According to the BBC, hippopotamuses can trot so fast that they actually manage to glide on the air for a short period of time!

Studying hippos in Yorkshire

The research proving that hippos can (briefly) fly was done by the Royal Veterinary College after two of these animals were filmed in their padlock at Flamingo Land, a zoo and theme park in North Yorkshire.

Less than a second

The BBC writes that, for a brief moment up to 0.3 seconds, all four of a hippo’s legs can briefly take off the ground.

What's a hippo, anyway?

Forbes Magazine explains that the common hippopotamus, also known as the river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal that lives in sub-Saharan Africa. Not the kind of animal you would think of as aerodynamic.

Faster than they look

According to Forbes Magazine, these heavyset herbivores can weigh 1,300 kg (2866 pounds) and 1,500 kg (3300 pounds) but that they move surprising fast, reaching a speed of 30 km/hr (18.6 mph).

Image: pawel_czerwinski / Unsplash

It's all about motivation?

And what’s the secret for airborne hippos? The Guardian writes it’s all about motivation. These heavyset herbivores usually hit full speed when chasing off rivals.

Not easy to work with

“I’ve struggled to get any work done on hippos before because they’re so hard to access,” said Professor John Hutchinson, who led the research, to The Guardian.

'They're incredibly dangerous'

Hutchinson, who focuses on evolutionary biomechanics, explained to The Guardian why hippos are so difficult to study: “They’re incredibly dangerous, they tend to be most active at night, and they spend a lot of their time in the water”.

Elephants, hippos, and rhinos

This would set hippos somewhere between elephants and rhinoceros in terms of athletic prowess displayed by some of the heaviest land animals in the world.

Pigs might fly?

Who knows? Maybe one day scientists could prove wrong the old saying about flying pigs!

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Image: novniel / Unsplash