Much has been done to stop or reduce importing and exporting of products made from elephant ivory, but poachers have resorted to harvesting hippopotamus teeth as a replacement material. This trend combined with loss of grassland habitat has reduced the number of wild hippopotamuses to under 200,000 individuals.
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Hippopotamus amphibus - The hippopotamus, Greek for “river horse,” is well designed for a semiaquatic life. It has small eyes and the ears are placed on top of its huge head. There is 5 centimeters of insulating fat and nostril flaps able to close when the animal is submerged. A hippopotamus can stay underwater, leisurely grazing on the plants found growing along the river bed, for up to 25 minutes. Despite its non-threatening appearance, the hippopotamus is one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.
