MOTHER HIPPO'S GRIEF WHEN SHE FINDS HER DEAD BABY - She guards it howling in sorrow, while keeping everyone else away

Mother hippo grieving for her dead baby

Photographer Neal Cooper captured scene on camera in Kasane, Botswana.  The mother hippo was pictured warning other hippos away from the dead calf.  Mr Cooper described the scene as 'really quite a distressing sight to see'

'We spotted a hippopotamus standing motionless on the river bank with her head resting on something which looked like a rock and as we approached we spotted something lying on the ground in front of her.

 

'It turned out to be a very young dead hippo. I couldn't see any wounds on the side which was showing, so we pulled up the boat, kept a safe distance and watched as another very large hippo approached from the water.  The mother's anguish soon turned to rage however as she was pictured warning off other animals by baring her teeth.

 

Hippos are regarded as among the most lethal animals in Africa and mothers are well-known for being highly territorial when looking after their young.  Mr Cooper said: 'We believe the youngster was either killed when it got in the way of a fight between adults or maybe even by a male hippo who killed the youngster to rule out future competition.  'We stayed with the grieving and obviously distressed mother as long as we could before we had to be out of the park and we left her standing over her dead calf.  

 

Read more and see additional pictures

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2598768/A-mothers-grief-Heartbreaking-moment-hippo-finds-dead-baby-guards-howling-sorrow.html

 

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