People often have different reactions to the same situation, and this diversity is entirely understandable given our unique perspectives. This phenomenon extends to the animal kingdom as well. Just as a baby elephant might enthusiastically chase and dance with a flock of birds, this baby rhinoceros has developed an unusual obsession with its feathered friends. The result is both incredibly funny and undeniably adorable. Let’s delve into this heartwarming story!
The young hippo was happily playing on its own when a small group of oxpeckers landed on its back. Initially, it tolerated their presence for about ten seconds before it decided that it wanted them gone. However, these persistent oxpeckers had other plans, setting the stage for a comical encounter.
The anxious calf cried out for help as the oxpeckers started pecking at its back. It was genuinely startled and tried various means to scare off these unwelcome passengers. “I’m not kidding; you guys need to stay away from me,” it seemed to express.
The hippo wriggled and twisted its body in an attempt to dislodge the birds, but their stubbornness prevailed. It even tried feigning a rush into the water to shake off the birds. Fortunately, the birds eventually gave up their efforts to feed and flew away.
As you may know, oxpeckers and hippos typically share a mutually beneficial relationship. These birds help free hippos from ticks and other parasites by feeding on them. However, this time, they weren’t exactly welcomed by this particular baby hippo, which viewed them as annoying pests and frantically tried to fend them off.
These hilarious moments were captured at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia by photographer Marc Mol. He was initially focused on observing a pod of hippos when he saw the baby hippo rushing towards him with the oxpeckers on its back.
“I was at first astonished as to what was going on, seeing this baby hippo running towards me and the safety of water, and then realized it was a small flock of Ox-peckers that were the culprits. It was very amusing to witness,” Marc Mol shared.
He added, “I had a real laugh when I realized that I had captured something a little different and yet very amusing.”
When Marc shared the photos of the baby hippo on the internet, they quickly went viral. People felt sympathy for the young animal but couldn’t help bursting into laughter. Its expressions were so genuine and comical. In the end, the baby hippo simply didn’t want to greet the oxpeckers – and that’s perfectly fine.
