Although hippos are herbivores, these highly territorial animals are estimated to kill an incredible 3,000 people each year.

Male hippos fiercely defend their territories – which include the banks of rivers and lakes, while females hippos can get extremely aggressive if they sense anything getting in between them and their babies, who stay in the water while they feed on the shore.

Hippos weigh up to 1,500 kg – the third biggest animal in Africa behind the elephant and rhino – and can run on land at speeds of up to 30 km per hour. Combine this with their aggressive nature, agility in and out of the water, and sharp, half-meter teeth in enormous jaws and you can understand why hippos can make for such a fearsome creature to encounter. (Did you hear about the pink hippo milk rumour?)