Hippos battle crocodiles - now that is perhaps a rare sighting that only a few are privy of seeing; however, all thanks to one brave photographer, many of us can now lay our eyes on the battle between the two distinct beasts in the animal kingdom.
According to the Telegraph, a herd of hippos battling crocodiles has been photographed by Mark Mol, when he caught sight of the rare event while traveling via microlight over Zambia's South Luangwa National Park.
In the series of photos capturing how hippos battle crocodiles, it is very evident that the crocs do not want to share the muddy territory with the hippos; hence, they send them off into the river by attacking the vulnerable mammals.
Hippos are considered as fearsome creatures, but during this rare incident, they were not really prepared to engage into a beastly fight.
Some of Mol's photos show that one hippo could be seen lying dead in the sludge on the water's edge while its other members of the herd fled upstream away from the snapping mouths of the reptiles.
Mark Mol is a wildlife photographer, who enjoys taking pictures of rare wildlife sightings.
In his travel journal, he wrote: "We have approximately 140+ crocs feasting on a dead hippo as the relentless hot & dry season lingers on" to describe the series of snaps he got of the hippos battle against crocodiles.
Mol further explained that about 100 crocodiles apparently descended in unison as the hippos desperately attempted to escape, leaving one of their friends at the mercy of the crocs.
Mol considered his flight over the carnage that day as a "thrilling experience" he would "never forget."
"The hot weather was relentless but it was likely this hippo died from anthrax which lies dormant for many years but can get stirred up if the dry season is an extended one," Mol said.
"What I did find that was most interesting was that the crocodiles appeared to be the only animals that were concerned with the microlight flying overhead," he added. "It could well be a throwback to the days when Pterodactyls ruled the skies."
Finally, the hippos managed to find a new place to bathe in the river, where no crocodiles could ever disturb them again.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
