Hippo vs Lion Clan - Natural World - BBC Earth

It is overwhelming. Hippos can't sweat but they do secrete a thick oily reddish fluid. This acts as a sunscreen and helps protect against infection. But he still needs to drink. Water holes are dangerous traps for thirsty animals. It's staked out by lions. They're practiced giant killers. Together they can take down an elephant. Dying of thirst but he stands firm. A hippo can hold his ground if he needs to. And he forces the lions to allow him a share. Finally he gets his much needed drink. Relief is on its way. In the distance a flood is creeping slowly closer. The hippos dry paths. So once again the hippos have determined the course of the river's channels. The face of the Okavango changes once again. And all that the hippos had lost will soon return. Their resilience, determination and adaptability have carried them through the toughest of times. Once more flows along the veins of the delta. And life soon reappears. As the land recovers at the flood water's peak the channels created by the hippos carry the water to its furthest limits. It's they who will perpetuate the watery wonderland of the Okavango. Everything and everyone that lives here owe their presence to the hippos. Africa's river giants.