Visitor at the Cincinnati Zoo Captures Hippos Snoozing Underwater
We've all heard about hungry, hungry hippos, but what about sleepy, sleepy hippos? A guest at Cincinnati Zoo was checking out the hippos when they caught a trio of them taking an afternoon snooze under the water!
ABC News shared the video on their TikTok account on Saturday, February 10th, and it'll make you want a nap! Two of the hippos are snuggled up together, while the third hippo is snoozing on its own, though in close proximity to the other two. One is much smaller than the other two...is it a baby?
Talk about some sleepy hippos! They're so cute that it makes you forget how dangerous hippos really are! I'm guessing that the little hippo is probably Fiona's (the world famous, adorable 7-year-old hippo) baby brother Fritz, who was born in 2022. He's still just a little guy, and he needs his naps! @ABC News commenters loved the clip of the sleepy hippos. @MyTime2Shine said, "Sleeping with the fishes takes on a whole new meaning!" and @rw pointed out, "Unbothered. Moisturized. Chubby. Happy. Flourishing."
Related: Cincinnati Zoo Hippos Kissing Is Making the Internet Smile
How Do Hippos Sleep Underwater?
Some commenters were confused about how hippos napped underwater. @Liz Delappe wondered, "They can only hold their breath for 5 minutes. Look it up not sure what’s happening here". When I first watched it, I remembered reading the same thing, so I decided to check it out and see what I could find.
According to NationalGeographic.com, hippos have very delicate skin, and they spend a lot of time in the water to avoid being in the sun, as it can burn and dry out very easily. This is also why they spend so much time covering themselves in mud.
Did you know hippos can't swim? Because of their size and denseness, they can't float. Although they spend a ton of time each day in the water, it might look like they're swimming around, but they aren't. They walk and run along the bottom of the riverbed.
Their eyes and nostrils are on top of their heads, so they can still breathe and see when they are underwater. But in this video, these guys are fully submerged, how is that possible? Well, NatGeo explains, "When totally submerged, the ears and nostrils shut tight to keep the water out, and hippos can hold their breath for five minutes." So instead of this giving a whole new meaning to "sleeping with the fishes", it really is a better example of a "cat nap"! Another fun fact from the NatGeo, "A subconscious reflex allows them to push themselves to the surface to breathe without waking up so they can sleep without drowning." Kind of how dolphins can sleep with one side of their brain still awake!
Animal facts like this are so cool and I love learning about them. I wonder how much longer these hippos were resting. I'm sure there's a lot of splashing around when they finally wake up!
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