Hippo Watching

Do you have the courage it takes to look into the face of the most dangerous animal in Niger?

The animal that kills more humans in Africa that any other animal? If so, then join me on a potentially perilous adventure up the Niger River for a closer look at hippos in the wild.


In October, a number of friends and I (Christine) took a pirogue ride (canoe ride) up the Niger River. The 7 of us along with our guide had this entire motorized pirogue all to ourselves during the 3-hour trip! Complete with cushioned reclining seats! Come along for the ride!


We leave around 9:30am during the cooler part of the day. It’s quite pleasant on the river, especially with the covered roof to protect us from the hot sun.






HIPPO! Our first hippo sighting is less than 5 minutes into our trip, right next to the bridge only a few metres from where men are washing clothes!


Apparently, this hippo is frequently seen around the bridge and seems quite accustomed to having people around (or is it the other way around that people are used to having the hippo nearby).

We continue up-stream. Garden plots line the edge of the river. We wave to farmers working in their gardens and women and children washing along the banks of the river. The kids excitedly jump up and down in the water and wave back at us.


The banks of the Niger River are an oasis in the midst of the dry Sahel and encroaching desert. Tall grass grows along the banks and is cut for hay to feed livestock.



Another type of long “grass” growing at the edge of the river is actually rice that will be harvested in late November. The “scare-crow” in the rice paddy is not to scare crows, but rather to keep hippos from raiding the fields for food during their nightly “snack attacks”.



A few kilometres up-stream, we see the Presidential palace grounds up on a hill. Next, we come to the dam which helps to control the water level in dry season. The water pump station for the city is located here (actually, only a 15 minute walk from our present house). At the moment, the water level is very high so our boat can go right over the dam. In low water season, boats need to go through the little set of locks.


Fishermen congregate just below the dam to cast their nets from their little canoes. I never quite understand how they can manoeuvre a canoe so easily while standing up! And here I was always taught to stay sitting (or kneeling) in a canoe for stability!

Further upstream, we pass by a herd of cows grazing on one side of the riverbank and a large flock of egrets (or herons) lined up along the other side the riverbank and in the trees.




At the halfway point, our guide points us to the eating and breeding grounds of another herd of hippos. We sit quietly in the pirogue hoping to get another glimpse of the dangerous beast (“underwater mines” as Tim likens them to).

Phhoosh! The sound of a hippo surfacing for breath. There are two hippos this time, but they don’t stay at the surface for long before they disappear out of sight.

“Just be careful,” our guide warned, “if you ever hear 3 loud blows of a hippo surfacing for breath. That means the hippo is angry and is ready to charge you!”