Hippypotamus mug

The Hippypotamus, though relatively young, yearns for the good old days. She hankers after the times when Nancy wore her made-for-walking boots and Melanie rode her bicycle past your window (last night).

She would have loved to have been at Woodstock (the first one). Sadly, she has to content herself with smoking the good stuff that grows prolifically in the bush around her pool and listening to scratchy old records. She is always searching for the answers to age-old questions, which are forever blowing in the wind, slightly out of her reach.

About our LESSER SPOTTED AFRICAN WILDLIFE latte mugs:

This is what you get with each mug, you lucky person, you!:

• ○ 12oz (350ml) unique Lesser Spotted African Wildlife cone-shaped latte mug
• ○ Premium grade ceramics with scratch-resistant finish
• ○ Dishwasher- and handwash-friendly
• ○ Microwave-safe
• ○ Individually hand-made in Cape Town
• ○ The ideal gift for a friend, family member or loved one – or for you

*Please don’t scrub hard with bleach and a scourer, even if you’re a die-hard germaphobe (true story) – treat your Hippypotamus mug gently and it’ll give you years of pleasure and amusement.

ALL ABOUT HIPPOS:

Hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius), like our friend, the Hippypotamus, are massive semi-aquatic mammals. Despite their bulky, comical appearance, they’re considered the most dangerous large land mammal on the continent as they’re extremely aggressive and unpredictable. Our friend isn’t dangerous at all though, she’s a pacifist and usually a bit out of it.

As their skin is sensitive, they’re entirely dependent on water to stay hydrated and cool and so, live in slow-moving rivers, lakes and swamps – deep enough to submerge completely but with firm, sloping banks to rest on – with nearby grazing. The Kruger National Park and St Lucia have tons of them and further afield, you can find even more (around 3000 of the blighters) at Kariba.

While they’re unlikely to eat you, as they’re herbivores, they’re extremely territorial and will attack with little to no provocation and kill around 500 people every year!

KEY TRAITS:

Size and appearance: They’re the third-largest land mammals after ellies and rhinos. Adult males weigh 1.5 to 3.2 tons and females, 1.3 to 2.35 tons. They’re also quite tall (1.5m at shoulder height) and can be up to 5m long.

Best known for: Being able to walk under water on the river bed. They can stay submerged for five minutes so just because you can’t see them, doesn’t mean they aren’t there!

Lifespan: Hippos live for 40 to 50 years in the wild and, in captivity, 60 years or more.

Social Structure: Hippos’ social groups are called pods, bloats or rafts, in which a dominant bull presides over a ‘harem’ of cows and the young, and usually comprise 10 to 30 individuals. If the environment is stable, you could find up to 100 in one group.

Their Diet: Hippos are herbivorous. They spend their days resting in water and banks and emerge at sundown to graze, when they nosh on 35 to 40kg of grass each night. They’ll walk up to 8kms from their water source to find suitable grazing land.

Breeding: They usually mate and give birth in the water. The cows gestate for about 8 months and give birth to a single calf (every two years or so) and isolate themselves for two weeks after the birth to protect their babies.

Spoor Description: Their tracks are large, rounded and symmetrical and can be recognised by four forward-pointing toes on each foot.

Collect the full set of 12 Lesser Spotted African Wildlife mugs and give your family and friends an inspirational topic for filling awkward silences.