Hippos live mainly in water, getting out on land for feeding. In search of food, a giant beast can pass many kilometers. For feeding they come out of the reservoir and work their way to the places of fattening along paths traced by relatives.
Such paths are wide deep ditches, inside which the hippopotamus can not turn around. In case of danger, the animal rushes to the water and runs along the ditch at high speed. Especially fast is his running, if the path has a high slope. Escaping, a heavyweight runner is unable to stop or turn around inside the ditch, so on the way to him in this situation it is better not to come across.
In the water, the hippopotamus feels safe, here he leads offspring and spends most of his life. An animal swims unhurriedly, moving its legs as if walking, but more often just wanders along the bottom.
Since high activity of displacement is not required here, 5-7 km / h is the maximum reached by the speed of the hippopotamus within its shelter.
