Following footage of two hippos wandering around in their pasture at Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire, the discovery was discovered.
According to Kieran Holliday of the zoo and theme park resort located near Pickering, fresh insights into “hippo locomotion” have been gleaned from the study.
Hippos can weigh up to two tons, making them one of the largest terrestrial mammals.
Previous research had revealed the animals resembled elephants in that they frequently walked on four feet (quadrupedally), placing their feet in the following order: left hind, left.
Prof. John Hutchinson and Emily Pringle, a former undergraduate student at RVC, investigated this further as they gathered video footage of two hippos in motion at Flamingo Land.
“Very impressive”
scientists discovered that hippos could practically trot when scientists compared their recordings to internet clips of the animals in motion, whether they were going swiftly or slowly.
The study’s lead author, Prof. Hutchinson, called the observation of how quickly moving hippos may become airborne “really impressive.”
