Why did the hippo cross the road?
For a late night snack run of course! Come on, we’ve all been there.
It’s quite common for guests and residents in St Lucia, South Africa to see wild animals casually roaming the streets. With the town being situated within iSimangaliso Wetland Park, hippos especially seem to sometimes want a taste of city life.
On Sunday 23 February, the OK Express & Engen Garage in St Lucia posted a video shared by Marié Stubbe of a sizeable hippo strolling through the petrol station.
The post read:
“Just a casual Sunday night stroll in St Lucia looking for snacks at OK Express. The hippo returned back to the lake after grazing around town. St Lucia town is surrounded by a large lake and extensive natural habitat for wildlife,”
The viral video has attracted many comments with some suggesting the hippo must have run out of petrol, or that he was in the mood for some snacks.
Stubbe, who has lived in St Lucia for 26 years, says that it’s very common for hippos to venture into residents’ gardens at night for some fresh green grass:
‘They’re not aggressive and don’t really care about people, but might become dangerous if a cow has a calf with her.’
She also added that although people don’t usually approach the hippos, some tourists try to get close to them for pictures:
‘Everyone wants to show the world they saw a hippo in the street, and when people get too close, that’s when it can get dangerous for the hippo and the people.’
All wild animals are best appreciated when observed from a distance and without human interference, especially hippos who boast a fierce reputation as Africa’s most deadly animal!
iSimangaliso Wetland Park contains three major lake systems, eight interlinking ecosystems and is Africa’s largest estuarine system.