My new pet

[Markvetnz]

click for full size

I saw a program once where people hand reared a hippo. It became a big (literally) problem when it started sleeping on the beds and it just broke the front door down to get in the house.

[speedneeder]

Nice photo Mark. The sharpness of the hippo and the dof are good. I like the light on the subject also.

[Colin Southern]

Hi Mark,

I was getting kinda worried when I read "click for full size"!

[Harpo]

Great Photo Mark. How did you get that close? When in Kenya last year we were kept far away from the hippos because they were dangerous. From your exif data, it seems like you were 20 meters away and using a 400mm lens?

[Markvetnz]

Great Photo Mark. How did you get that close? When in Kenya last year we were kept far away from the hippos because they were dangerous. From your exif data, it seems like you were 20 meters away and using a 400mm lens?

We snuck up on them up wind, kept our heads low, made sure our bearers were showing us dutiful respect (calling us Bwana at regular intervals) and ........ er it was actually at Auckland Zoo . There are three kinds of people in the world - clever people, stupid people and people who try and sneak up on hippos! I am originally from Africa where hippos are responsible for more people deaths than any other larger predator. Being herbivores, they wander far and wide at night in search of grazing and they are fiercely territorial. National Geo had some amazing underwater photos of hippos.

[Colin Southern]

and they are fiercely territorial.

And I suspect more than capable of defending their territory!

Do they have any natural predators?

[Donald]

In a zoo or not, that's a superb image. Got it all, exposure, focus, DoF - right on the nail. A cracker, as we say hereabouts.

[Markvetnz]

Do they have any natural predators?

Not really - I have heard of hippos sorting a few crocs out. As usual - only the old homo sapiens. I do wonder why on earth we, as a species, would be given the latin name for wise. Go figure..

[epmi314]

Great picture. I love the texture of the skin.

I would like to see you put her on a leash and go for a walk around the neighborhood! Picking up after her would be difficult to because of that thing they do when "eliminating".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20a8Y51U5Es