Today let us re-enter the classroom so that the series of our free class about tracking and knowing the direction of animals and their environment as well as what challenges these animals face and ways to solve those challenges in general. I urge you dear reader to be with me from the beginning to the end of this article you will learn a lot from the animal that will be today.
And today we will look directly at the "HIP" animal which is found only in Africa.
INTRODUCTION
The hippo is one of the most endangered species in the world. The hippo translates as a river horse and this is due to the origin of the English name of this animal because when you say hippo in Greek then you mean "river horse" lagoon. The hippo is a large animal by nature and has so many characteristics that some are even recorded in the history of human life.
Now let's go deeper into the characteristics of this animal and the history he wrote for this animal to be even more dangerous to human life.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HIP
1. The eyes and nostrils of the hippo are on the side of the head and this helps him and especially when he is immersed in the water and puts his head on the water.
2. He has four toes on each foot, one finger and the other hand held in the middle like a duck's toes and this helps to give the body balance in standing.
3. The hippo's eyes have a reflective lens that allows the animal to open its eyes and see even in water.
4. They have big bodies, big heads and short legs with strong muscles.
5. The hippo has a large mouth and very strong jaws.
6. They are animals that live in boundaries and this only happens when they are in the water as they set their boundaries through chemicals but feces to prevent other rodents from invading their area.
7. Hippos are animals that live in groups, and the herd usually has 10-30 or more strokes. This group is led by a male ruler for the period and is the one who is free to plant all the females found in the group.
8. Hippos are animals that spend the night searching for food and can walk up to six miles (10 km) just eating.
9. It gives off red liquid and people mix it up and say this is blood no matter what, these are special fluids that these animals give to soften the body from the effects of solar radiation.
10. In addition to having a large body shape, the hippo has the ability to run at a distance of 23km per hour (23km / hour).
11. Whips stay in the water for about 16 hours a day.
DID YOU KNOW THAT…
1.Hippo is a very angry animal and is the animal with the history of killing more humans than any other animal ?. Statistics show that hippos kill 3,000 people a year.
2. The hippo's mouth is so big that he can open it up to 14 feet wide?
3.Hippo is the third largest animal living on land after the White Elephant and the Rhino?
Weight, Height and Height
Weight = reaches 2,268 to 3,629 kilograms (equivalent to 2 - 3 tons or more). Height = reaches 2.8 - 4.2m long and the tail is 35 to 50 cm long.
Height = hippo goes up to a height of 1.6 meters.
ENVIRONMENT
Hippos live in sub-Saharan Africa and these areas are well watered and that is why these animals spend 16 hours in the water per day. They spend the day resting in the water and coming out at night in search of food.
The lakes or rivers where rods are found are those that are surrounded by leaves or bushes that are also used by these animals as food.
GROWTH
Hippos are herbivores such as buffalo, buffalo and others. As we have seen above, this animal searches for food at night and is able to walk six to ten miles [6 to 10 km] while eating at night. The hippo is an animal that can eat up to 40k – 60 kilograms per meal.
Due to the shape of its beak, the hippo is an animal that lays down leaves like a buffalo because their beaks are flat. The hippo can also store food and stay for up to three weeks without eating.
BIRTH
The strong male is the ruler and is allowed to plant all the females under his dominion. Before the mating process, when the male owns the empire, he sets boundaries by using the chemicals he produces in his body but also uses his flat tail to distribute feces to mark the boundaries of his empire and prevent other males from invading the area.
The rods mate in the water. Immediately after mating the female becomes pregnant for eight (8) months and after that gives birth to one child. In the same way, even the hippopotamus gives birth in water. The baby hippo is born weighing about 25–50 kg and can suckle on land or in water.
In the water the baby hippo closes the nostrils and ears as well to prevent water from entering the nostrils during sucking. The female hippopotamus gives birth every two years and soon after giving birth joins a group of mothers and children that are under one male domination. The baby hippo is under the care of the mother for about 18 months (equivalent to one and a half years). By the age of five to seven (5-7) hippopotamuses are fully grown and ready to reproduce.
The age of the hippo is estimated to be 35–40 years, sometimes up to 50 years.
STORAGE
Hippos are endangered species, according to a study conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). But the agency claims that in the future these animals could also be included in the world's endangered species and this is due to the decline of these animals.
The number of strokes appears to have dropped by 7% -20% over the past decade and is said to be still declining and will continue to decrease by more than 30%. So when the current statistics come out we will know the direction of these animals.
Hippos are left in only 29 countries in Africa and each country has reported that the number of these animals has dropped by more than half, with Congo leading the way in declining numbers. Currently the number of these animals is estimated at 125,000–148,000 worldwide.
CHALLENGES AFFECTS THE WIPES
1. The biggest challenge facing rodents is poaching mainly due to the demand for teeth as well as the meat of these animals. These demands have led to the extinction of these animals and to the extinction of some areas in Africa and the best example is in Congo as they have become extinct in countries such as Algeria, Egypt and Mauritania.
2. Environmental degradation due to human activities such as irrigated agriculture and pollution of water sources as well as deforestation and burning of forests along rivers and lakes. Hippos are animals that need a lot of water and fresh water, so irrigation activities have been leading to water shortages in rivers and causing these rivers to dry up and making rodents very restless. Also the use of industrial fertilizers has been very polluting and causing problems for these animals. A good example is the great Ruaha River as water recedes and even the disappearance of some of its branches has caused many features of the Ruaha National Park to dwindle where it is also very dependent on rodents.
3. Poor enforcement and poor monitoring of laws governing conservation issues and in particular due to limited government influence on wildlife conservation issues.
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP THE STRIPES HERE IN TANZANIA
1.Increase the number of wildlife officers in the wildlife sanctuaries to reduce the issue of poaching, but also the recruits should be patriotic in their protection activities to eradicate poaching issues in those areas. For those rodents outside the wildlife reserves then a concerted effort should be made to protect them.
2. Effective use of irrigated agriculture and reduce deforestation along rivers and lakes. This will help reduce the risk of dehydration and water pollution which appear to be very dependent on rods.
3. The community should be educated in wildlife conservation and its benefits so that these communities can be good ambassadors in exposing poaching habitats and poaching actors in protected wildlife areas.
4. The government through the relevant ministries especially the ministry of natural resources and tourism in collaboration with the ministry of environment to establish effective policies or laws that will aim to eradicate environmental degradation but also to encourage the community to appreciate the presence of these animals in the country.
CONCLUSION
I would like to congratulate the authorities in charge of wildlife conservation issues in the country for example TANAPA for the great work they do sometimes even to differentiate themselves from other communities just to save these animals, congratulations to you TANAPA. But also not to forget the authority like TAWA and all its branches for the complex activity going on in conservation.