Hippos are incredibly dangerous, and lions around them learn this early on. We tend to think of the lions as the supreme danger, but hippos are worse. Even crocodiles generally don’t dare to bother them since an angry response can result in a bite force great enough to break their bones–it’s just not worth it.
It’s not surprising to see a pride give way. Hippos also kill humans quite routinely in areas like the Okavango Delta here–at a higher rate than any other wild animal (not including those in the insect and micro worlds like mosquitoes). Despite being shaped a bit like an obese cow, their temperament is even more volatile than the North American moose.
