Hippopotamus - Hippos And People
york books habitats mammals
Hippos herds greatly benefit the rivers and lakes where they live, their excrement fertilizing the vegetation of the habitat. As a result, all animals in the food chain benefit, and fishing is usually very good in hippo areas. When the supply of nearby vegetation in areas near hippo pools became scarce, however, these huge animals sometimes feed in farm fields, where many have been shot. Also, hippos are hunted for their meat, hide, and ivory tusks.
The numbers of pygmy hippos left in the wild is uncertain because they are so rarely seen, but it is likely that they are an endangered species. Luckily, pygmy hippos breed well in zoos, and it may one day be possible to restock the wild habitats.
Resources
Books
Arnold, Caroline. Hippo. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1989.
Green, Carl R., and William R. Sanford. The Hippopotamus. Wildlife Habits & Habitats Series. New York: Crestwood House, 1988.
Hippos. Zoobooks Series. San Diego: Wildlife Education, 1988.
Knight, Linsay. The Sierra Club Book of Great Mammals. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books for Children, 1992.
Lavine, Sigmund A. Wonders of Hippos. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1983.
Stidworthy, John. Mammals: The Large Plant-Eaters. Encyclopedia of the Animal World. New York: Facts On File, 1988.
Jean F. Blashfield
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