28 March 2012

Hippopotamus

Location: Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, N.S.W.

It was feeding session for the lone hippopotamus, with apostlebirds picking up their share 



 Getting ready for the hose treatment.  Unfortunately the pressure was down, the line had been punctured 

.. but there was just enough to get by




..it's only a very short video clip since I wasn't sure I'd be able to hold the camera steady enough.
  To avoid sedative measures for keeping the teeth somewhat aligned, this hippo has been trained to open wide for his handler.



11 comments:

Stewart M said...

Hi there - great set of pictures!
My daughter’s special animal is a grey hippo - so I have come to have a real fondness for these lumbering beasts!

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

Unknown said...

I enjoyed that, thanks! It had a bit of everything for me!

John @ Beans and I on the Loose said...

That video was interesting. There must be something the hippo does in the wild for the same benefit to his teeth. Wonder what hippo breath is like?

Anonymous said...

Love the video, but I think he needs more than just a filing!

TexWisGirl said...

what an amazing creature. beautiful in its own weird way. :)

cindyrina said...

Great shot!!!! wide open....:)

Brian King said...

Those are fantastic! That mouth looks like a garbage bin! Great shot with the water hose!

Karin M. said...

Wow ... such a huge hippo, terrific ..
Best regards, Karin

Jan Castle said...

WOW...glad my trips to the DDS are not like that! LOL!
Jan

theconstantwalker said...

Wonderful to see...
I live close to Chester Zoo and it's now famous for it's conservation and times change.

The elephants are fantastic to see with a regular supply of youngsters to keep the public happy.

My parents took us at least once a years in the 60's and the flower gardens were fantastic to see... long grasses now replace them (low maintenance) I'm rambling... lovely memories.

What I meant to say was they had hippos next to the elephants in the 1960's but I haven't seen one since... or polar bears and..

Lyn S said...

Hope he didn't have bad breath Carole! Great photos and video!