Hippos
67cm x 61cm
Cobra water mixable oils on textured board.
The third largest land animal after the elephant and white rhinos. Despite their bulk, they can move swiftly on both land and in water. Their wildlife habitats are under threat from new settlements to house the ever expanding human population and deforestation.
They are totally reliant on water and mud to keep cool as they have no sweat glands.
They are herbivorous and graze at night, returning to the water in the heat of the day.
They live along the rivers and lakes throughout sub-saharan Africa.
Their eyes, ears and nostrils are arranged on the top of their heads so that they can lay low in the water.
The natural threat comes from crocodiles, but they can live up to 40 years in the wild.