Kruger Big Mouth

At the Matambeni Bird Hide the Just-Go team was treated to an exhibition of size and strength. This hippo is showing off it's jaw which incidentally can measure up to 1.2 metres accross. You can see his lower canine teeth clearly. These tusk like teeth are a source of ivory and can grow as long as a metre all on their own. They can be a very powerful weapon for these territorial creatures. Often, times when a hippos mouth is open like this it signals that he feels threatened. At the time of the photo there were several other large hippos in the area that all seemed to be jockying for position. One thing is for sure, with teeth like that, we'll be sure to keep our distance!

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