Mother Hippo Fights to Protect Her Calf | Natural World | BBC Earth

In only a few months time the water here will cease to flow. 8,000 square kilometers of swamp will dry and disappear and all the hippos of the Okavango will face real hardship. Water is the hippo's sanctuary. It keeps them cool in the baking heat and provides the vegetation on which they depend. And safety away from predators. But with all of this slowly evaporating everyone will need to be prepared. The calf is now several weeks old and has built up his strength. It's time for him to meet the family. Returning to the pod with a new baby is inevitably risky. The mother has to re-establish that she's a member of the pod. And in the excitement a clumsy adult could crush her calf. The dominant bull is right in her path. If she stands her ground with him half her battle could be won. But the real problem comes from an unexpected place. Her previous calf is showing an unhealthy interest. She's battle scarred and appears to have a quarrelsome nature. Jealousy or curiosity? Whichever it is, it's dangerous. Her calf is far too young to be pushed around like this. He's frightened and stays close to his mother. This has turned into an attack and the mother must put a stop to it. The pair remain on the periphery of the pod. But the rest of the family can still hear them. Hippos are thought to be the closest living relatives of whales. And they too make most of their vocalizations underwater. Their head and jawbones capture vibrations and transmit them directly into the ear. Vibrations become sound and in these quiet waters these can carry up to a mile.