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as I wrote before, they are actually shots off my video footage, my still pictures have not yet been developed...apart from, we passed the rhino on April 10th, I believe...maybe the 9th

Weird indeed!

One of those infamous Pafuri Hippos.

Is it possible that a lack of suitable females ready for breeding in the mopani area can be causing the aggression of this bull ?
From the pictures it would definitely seem like something in this direction .

You would probably find that a bull that has come from the south of the park has never had a problem finding a mate , but now getting moved up north has changed things somewhat .

We had a clear view of the carcass on Friday 13th, no Rhino around, and carcass was totally covered with vultures, with many more in the surrounding trees and at the nearby waterhole. I have some video footage and will see whether I can download it. (Unfortunately my camera is not digital). Also no incision was visible on the carcass. We passed the carcass again on Sunday 15th, and all that was left over where the skin and bones.

Also interested to know why the Rhino acted in this strange way, and what caused the hippo's death.

In Contradiction to what has been said earlier...there are plenty of predators in the Mopani Area. We stayed at Shimuwini for Christmas and we had Lions roaring most nights. saw lion twice on the road to Mopani. We saw Caracal and kitten on the Shongololo road just north of Camp. Folk in camp saw so many leopards it was ridiculous and lion as well. we missed the leopards. So its not just Croc Bridge/LS and S100 that has predators. As Bucky says it was probably the Rhino keeping the predators away??

Just shows you the magic of Kruger. She reveals to you what she deems fit, when and where.

Hi. Have not been on the forum for a while so have not seen the post on this hippo at Mopani. We were there over easter weekend. Here is our chronology of events:
6 April - No dead hippo
7 April - Hippo was dead and the white rhino was trying to mate with it. I have photographs and video footage.
8 April - Rhino was still hanging around the hippo in the morning
Later in the day the ranger cut a panel out the side of the hippo and the rhino was nowhere to be seen. Lots of vultures in the trees
9 April - The hole in the hide was bloated but did not see any predators. We had to leave at about 07:00 to come back home

We also spoke to the ranger at the scene and he seemed puzzled by the events taking place

Just had to put this on from an email doing the rounds!

Not SANPARKS, but possibly Zim...



Shows you how fast and aggressive they can be!

Wonder what the outcome was!

Taken near Skukuza, on an early morning drive on the H4-1.

I saw the last half of a programme on Animal Planet last night about people who has rescued a baby hippo somehow and hand reared it. I am still ambivalent about the wisdom of this, as they treated it like a baby and it was scared of other hippos at 6 years old. It slept (at night when hippos normally feed) on a foam matrass and 'mommy' covered it with a blanket, and massaged it. It was too soppy, and was dependent on human affection. I am now leaning away from this type of 'rescue' by people who need a child/grandchild to care for. Many would say 'agh cute' but being licked by an 800 km hippo is too soppy.