South Luangwa's Amazing New Double Act

South Luangwa SOUTH LUANGWA’S AMAZING NEW

Double Act

Writer: Ian Salisbury Photography: Ian Salisbury

Guests at South Luangwa’s Mfuwe Lodge invariably share their days with a variety of wild and wonderful animals—though one particular creature literally looms large wherever you look. The aptly named ‘hippo pool’, which lies alongside the lodge, provides constant entertainment, as dozens of these huge, comical creatures go about their daily business. For a grandstand view of proceedings there is no better place than the Bush Spa, where hippo antics often add a touch of comedy to the pampering experience.

Relaxing after their recent invigorating massage, two eagle-eyed guests witnessed an occurrence hardly ever observed in the wild. Just a few metres below them, half-hidden by dense foliage, one somewhat rounder than normal female hippo started giving birth. The rarity value of this astonishing sighting reached new heights a few hours later when it became apparent that ‘mum’ had successfully delivered not one, but two new bundles of hippo joy—twins!

While such unusual double births have been recorded before, mainly in zoos, the occurrence of twins is considered to be extremely rare. After a gestation period of around 100 days, hippos usually give birth to a single calf, weighing in at anything up to 50 kilogrammes. When twins are born, both will not normally survive, with the mother concentrating her maternal attentions on one baby, and sadly abandoning the other— ‘Survival of the fattest’, perhaps?

In the wild, young animals often struggle to make their way in the world. The African bush can be a dangerous place for infants, and growing up is fraught with a variety of daily perils. The initial challenge, of course, is getting enough nourishment and, like all other mammals, milk comes first. Hippos spend a good part of their day in the water, so youngsters quickly have to learn how to dive and suckle underwater. They instinctively close their nostrils and ears when beneath the surface, and even have membranes that cover and protect their eyes whilst submerged. Suckling like this can continue for most of the first year of life.

Having overcome that challenge they must also face the threat posed by the area’s many predators: lions, hyenas, and mainly their closest neighbour—the Nile crocodile. The oxbow lagoon that serves as their nursery is shared by many of these large, hungry reptiles. Fortunately, hippo mothers are ever alert to the possibility of their offspring becoming delicious snacks, and are more than capable of inflicting serious bites of their own to any over-ambitious carnivore. Their protective duty also extends to fending off male hippos that have been known to attack and kill babies underwater; an angry, defensive mother is a mean adversary! From spending much of their first few days sleeping on land, or in the shallows, youngsters soon become much more aquatic, though more difficult to spot as they bob up for air, well hidden amongst the floating Nile cabbage.

Fortunately, after surviving week one, both tiny tots were still active and happily receiving equal shares of motherly love and attention.