Dangerous Hippo Fight Erupts On Golf Course Just Steps Away From Onlooking Golfers
A couple of golfers got more than they bargained for when an aggressive hippo fight broke out on a golf course, just steps away from the putting green.
The video recently surfaced on the Nature is Metal Instagram account, which noted that the two men were lucky that the hippopotamuses were preoccupied with each other. Hippos are among the most dangerous land animals on earth—second only to the disease-carrying mosquito—killing at least 500 people a year.
The incident took place at Skukuza Golf Club, a golf course and country club in Skukuza, South Africa, which is known for having wild animals wandering onto the grounds. The golf club likewise shared the video on its Facebook page.
In addition to their tusks, foot-long canines, and a jaw has a 1800 PSI bite force, male hippos weigh over 3,000 pounds on average. So even if you manage to avoid being bitten literally in half, the animals can very easily crush or trample a human to death. They can also run up to 20 miles per hour in short bursts, whereas humans can only average six to eighty miles per hour.
Hippos also often attack without provocation, so it's unclear if the two golfers were aware of the danger as they casually watched and filmed from their phones mere feet away from the bank of the pond, as the action went down.
However, the commenters were more than happy to point out the danger they out themselves in. "Casually hanging out 20 yards away from two Volkswagen-sized murder puppies is putting yourself in a spot for a Darwin Award," quipped one user.
As they saying goes—play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
