Val from Mpala here. We’ve had a couple of questions about the hippos and the hippo pool. (And Val has some answers.)
- You caught this image of one of the hippos–nicknamed “pink nose” by the researchers. The snout is pink because of lack of normal pigmentation in the skin. The scientific description is leucistic. Pink Nose has been at the pool for some years.
- The hippo pool is not man made. It is a bend in the river where hippos have congregated for many years. There are rocks just under the surface that makes it easy for them to rest in the water.
- Hippos don’t swim! They will push off from the river bed or even walk underwater along the bottom. This bend of the Ewaso Ng’iro seems to have the right combination of rocks and shallow water to keep the hippos happy. Thanks to Explore you can learn more about them at Mpala Field Guide.
See the hippos on the African Watering Hole Live Cam every day at explore.org.
