World Hippo Day is celebrated on 15 February every year to raise awareness about the plight of hippos, which are one of the most endangered large mammals on the planet. Today, the hippo population is estimated to be between 115,000 and 130,000, with the decline being attributed to poaching, loss of access to fresh water, mechanised farming, and urbanisation.
Hippos are semiaquatic mammals, native to sub-Saharan Africa, and weigh up to 2,000 kg, making them the third-largest land mammal after elephants and rhinos. They are mostly found in rivers, lakes, and mangrove swamps, and have adapted to a semiaquatic lifestyle. Their diet consists mostly of leaves, roots, and stems, supported by a robust digestive system that is adapted to conserve nutrients.
World Hippo Day 2024: History
The history of the hippo dates back to 54 million years ago, when the first group of hippos, ancestors of the modern hippo, broke up into two branches. One branch, which includes whales and dolphins, evolved to become aquatic cetaceans, while the other branch became anthracotheres, a close ancestor of the common hippo. After the Pliocene Epoch (over two million years ago), all branches of the anthracotheres went extinct, except for those that evolved into Hiromoletamidae.
The ancestors of the hippo in Europe and the British Isles survived for some time, but they eventually went extinct, probably due to man-induced factors. The same fate befallen the species of hippos that inhabited North America. After being introduced to the U.S. in the late 1980s, only four hippos were found to be living in Columbia. Today, the hippo population in the U.S. is estimated to be about 100 animals.
Why Is Hippo Day Celebrated?
World Hippo Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the threats faced by the hippo and promote conservation efforts to protect this endangered species. The day also serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting ecosystems, as hippos play a vital role in nutrient cycling and seed dispersal in rivers and lakes.
By taking action against hippo extinction, we can help to ensure the continued survival of this unique mammal for future generations.
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