Botswana hippo chases tourist boat on Okavango Delta

A male hippopotamus pursued a tourist boat on the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. The boat, carrying Oznur Bell and three children along with a guide, was traveling between camps when the guide slowed to avoid disturbing the animal. After observing the hippo, the guide warned the passengers to speed up. As the boat accelerated, the hippo lunged out of the water and chased the vessel, prompting a rapid escape.

Bell captured the encounter on her phone, describing it as “one of the most terrifying moments” she has ever experienced. The guide later laughed off the incident, while the tourists were visibly shaken. Hippos, which can weigh up to 8,000 lb and reach lengths of five metres, are highly territorial and are responsible for about 500 human deaths across Africa each year.