A hippo has two lives. One happens by day in the water. The other happens at night on land. If you want a child to remember a hippo, tell the day and the night as two parts of one story.
Daytime: in the water
Hippos spend most of the daylight hours in rivers, lakes or mud. The water keeps their skin moist and stops the sun from drying it.
A hippo's skin looks thick, but it is delicate and can burn. The animal makes an oily, reddish liquid that helps protect it from the sun and from infection.
Evening: time to get out
When the light fades, hippos leave the water. They walk to nearby grassland to feed.
Night: grazing
A hippo eats grass during the night. It may feed for several hours and walk a good distance from the water.
Hippos live in groups. A territorial male looks after the stretch of water they share.
What the name means
The word hippopotamus comes from ancient Greek. It means river horse. A hippo is not a horse, but you can see why people chose the name.
A hippo in Kenya today
The IUCN lists the hippo as Vulnerable. That means its numbers are going down and it needs care. You can tell a child that hippos need clean rivers and safe grassland to live.
Our hippo
Our hippo is crocheted by hand in Nairobi from recycled acrylic yarn. In our photo it is navy, with ringed eyes and a magenta dress with a multicoloured hem.
A hippo in a dress is not a plain animal. Our zero plastic and nothing detachable statement covers plain animals only. We have not confirmed it for animals with clothes, so ask us if you want to know more.
A day and night game
You need a hippo, a blue cloth and a green cloth. Put the blue cloth on one side of the room and the green cloth on the other.
- It is morning. The hippo sits on the blue cloth. It is in the river.
- Say, the sun is high. The hippo stays where it is.
- Say, the sun is going down. The hippo walks across the floor.
- The hippo lands on the green cloth and starts to graze.
- Say, the sun is coming up. The hippo walks back to the river.
Switch the light on and off, or draw the curtain, for day and night. Let your child say the lines after a few rounds.
A small note on hippos in real life
A hippo may look slow and round, but it has a very strong bite. If you visit one in a park, listen to your guide and keep your distance.
Ask your child to look for the hippo's eyes and nose first, because they sit high on its head.
