Common Hippopotamus
Common HippopotamusCommon HippopotamusCommon HippopotamusCommon Hippopotamus

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
30–40% · Possible
overall probability at Hwange National Park
26 Verified records at Hwange National Park
March Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius; ; pl.: hippopotamuses or hippopotami), often shortened to hippo (pl.: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis). Its name comes from the Ancient Greek for "river horse" (ἱπποπόταμος). After elephants and rhinoceroses, the hippopotamus is the next largest land mammal. It is also the largest extant land artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the hippopotamids are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.), from which they diverged about 55 million years ago. Wikipedia →

30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Hippopotamus sighting in Hwange National Park, based on 26 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Hwange National Park

Southern Giraffe

Southern Giraffe

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Giraffa giraffa

50–60% · Likely
Greater Kudu
LC

Greater Kudu

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Tragelaphus strepsiceros

40–50% · Likely
Impala
LC

Impala

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Aepyceros melampus

40–50% · Likely
Steenbok
LC

Steenbok

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Raphicerus campestris

40–50% · Likely
Blue Wildebeest
LC

Blue Wildebeest

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Connochaetes taurinus

40–50% · Likely
Common Warthog
LC

Common Warthog

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Phacochoerus africanus

30–40% · Possible
Sable Antelope
LC

Sable Antelope

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Hippotragus niger

30–40% · Possible
Roan Antelope
LC

Roan Antelope

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Hippotragus equinus

30–40% · Possible
African Buffalo
NT

African Buffalo

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Syncerus caffer

30–40% · Possible
Waterbuck
LC

Waterbuck

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

30–40% · Possible
Common Eland

Common Eland

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Taurotragus oryx

20–30% · Possible
Southern Reedbuck
LC

Southern Reedbuck

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Redunca arundinum

10–20% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
40–50
Feb
50–60
Mar
40–50
Apr
40–50
May
10–20
Jun
30–40
Jul
30–40
Aug
40–50
Sep
5–10
Oct
20–30
Nov
30–40
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
70–80%
2 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
60–70%
3 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
60–70%
4 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
60–70%
5 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
60–70%
6 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
60–70%
7 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
60–70%
8 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
60–70%
9 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
50–60%
10 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
50–60%
11 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
50–60%
12 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
50–60%
13 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
50–60%
14 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
50–60%
15 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
50–60%
16 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
50–60%
17 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
50–60%
18 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
50–60%
19 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
50–60%
20 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
50–60%
21 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
40–50%
22 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
40–50%
23 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
40–50%
24 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
40–50%
25 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
40–50%
26 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
40–50%
27 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
30–40%
28 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
30–40%
29 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
30–40%
30 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
30–40%
31 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
30–40%
32 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
33 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
34 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
35 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
36 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
37 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
38 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
39 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
40 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Common Hippopotamus in Hwange National Park?

About 38% of wildlife watchers report a Common Hippopotamus sighting in Hwange National Park, based on 26 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Common Hippopotamus in Hwange National Park?

March has the highest sighting rate for Common Hippopotamus in Hwange National Park in our monthly data.

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