A hippopotamus mother with her juvenile calf in a natural outdoor setting, surrounded by green grass and shrubs under clear daytime weather conditions. 3:01
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Baby hippo nods off and rolls into the water

Family nap time gives a baby hippo exactly one job, which is to stay put beside her mother. She's not very good at it. more

The grown-ups settle into the shallows until only their backs show above the green water. The baby wants in, and she wedges herself wherever there is a gap between two big bodies. One of the adults opens wide for a yawn, and then the whole family goes quiet.

A hippopotamus, mouth wide open, sits partly under murky green water. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
The family settles into the water for a nap, and one grown hippo opens wide.

Her mother doesn't fully switch off. This baby calls for her when she fusses, and she has a talent for finding trouble, so mom keeps her tucked in close and makes sure she sleeps right at her side. Even then, the little one picks a spot at the very edge of the water.

She nods off there. Then she rolls, and in she goes. Her mother is on her feet at once. By the time she gets there, the baby has surfaced and hauled herself back onto the bank under her own power, so mom grooms her instead.

A large hippopotamus lies on dry ground near sparse grass, with part of a second hippo visible alongside. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Out of the water, mom rests on the bank and the baby stays within reach.

From then on the baby goes where her mother goes. In the water she snuggles in between the adults. On land she makes the rounds of her sleepy relatives until somebody agrees to play.

A hippopotamus mother with her juvenile calf in a natural outdoor setting, surrounded by green grass and shrubs under clear daytime weather conditions. The headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Family nap time gives a baby hippo exactly one job, which is to stay put beside her mother.

Small birds hop along the hippos' backs the whole time, picking bugs off their skin, and the hippos could not care less. It is a lazy day for everyone but the baby, who has finally found her seat in the middle of the family.