Watch out...there is a hippo in the road.

Ben Coley with the hippo in the background

While out on a drive at Karongwe, the game drive vehicle came across a bit of an unexpected roadblock. Ben Coley describes the encounter in more detail.

"At the time of the detour, we were behind  elephants on the road so I tried to take a different road to get in front of them.  It had rained heavily in the morning and the reserve was dotted with puddles so I thought nothing of the pool of water ahead of us.  As my front wheels touched water, something moved.  We thought it was a terrapin until a huge shape loomed up, arched its neck and opened its mouth wide to reveal some formidable weaponry!  It turns out that this puddle was already occupied by a hippo!  I would like to thank the hippo for saving my blushes as without it causing me to stop, we would have no doubt become stuck as the ‘puddle’ must have been a meter deep!  Another great of example that in the bush, you never know what is around the next corner!"