Imvubu yenye yeyona nto ibonakalayo kwaye iyathandwa kakhulu kuzo zonke izilwanyana zaseAfrika, kodwa ingaba enye yezona zinto ezingenakulinganiswa. Iintlobo ezininzi ezibonakalayo kwi-safaris yase-Afrika yiyona mvuba eqhelekileyo ( Hippopotamus amphibius ), enye yezinto ezinokuphela ezimbini kwiintsapho zeHippopotamidae. Enye imvubu yezilwanyana yi-pygmy hippopotamus, isizwe esingumngcipheko kumazwe aseNtshona Koloni kuquka iLiberia, iSierra Leone neGuinea.
Iimvubu eziqhelekileyo ziyahlukana ngokucacileyo kwezinye izilwanyana ze-safari , ngenxa yokubukeka kwazo okuthe ngqo. Ziyizona zithathu zezilwanyana zasemhlabeni ezinkulu (emva kwazo zonke iintlobo zeendlovu kunye neentlobo ezininzi zeembhobho), kunye nemvubu ephakathi komyinge omdala ophakathi kwama-3,085 iililogriki / 1,400 kilogram. Abesilisa bankulu kunabesifazane, nangona bebancinci babonakala befana neenkunzi ezinamandla, ezingenaswele kunye nemilomo emininzi exhotywe ngamathambo.
Nangona ama-hippa azinalo iimbophelelo eziqinileyo zentlalo, zifumaneka ngokubanzi kumaqela angama-100 abantu. Bahlala kwinqanaba elithile lomlambo, kwaye nangona baphefumula umoya njenganoma yiphina isilwanyana, bayachitha ixesha labo emanzini. Bahlala emifuleni, amachibi kunye nemifula yamanzi, basebenzisa amanzi ukuze bahlale bepholile phantsi kobushushu belanga lase-Afrika. Bahlala kunye, baqabane, bazala kwaye balwa nommandla emanzini, kodwa bashiya indawo yabo yomlambo badle kwiibhanki zomlambo ngentsasa.
Igama lomvubu livela kwiGrike yamandulo ukuba "ihashe lomlambo", kwaye imvubu ngokuqinisekileyo iyakulungelelaniswa ubomi ubomi emanzini. Amehlo abo, iindlebe kunye namacwe onke aphezu kweentloko zawo, ezivumela ukuba zihlale zingcwatywa ngaphandle kokuphefumula. Nangona kunjalo, nangona zixhotywe ngeenyawo ezinobumba, amavubu akakwazi ukuthambisa kwaye awanakulungele ukuthamba.
Ngako oko, zihlala zivalelwe emanzini angatye, apho zikwazi ukubamba umoya wazo ukuya emihlanu imizuzu.
Iimvubu zinamanye amanyathelo afanelekayo, kuquka ukukwazi ukufaka iifom ebomvu-bhanya elibomvu kwi-sikhumba e-intshi ezimbini ezintandathu. Ziyingozi, zidla iipilisi ezingama-150/68 kilogram nganye yengca. Nangona kunjalo, amavubu anedumela elinoyiko lobugwenxa kwaye ahlala enkundleni, ngokuqhelekileyo asebenzisa ubudlova ukukhusela i-patch yomlambo (kwimeko yamabhokhwe angamadoda) okanye ukukhusela inzala yabo (kwimeko yamavukazi amabhinqa).
Bangabonakala bengenangqondo kumhlaba, kodwa amavubu anakho ukukhawuleza okukhawulezayo okukhawulezayo, ngokuqhelekileyo afinyelela kwi-19 mph / 30 kmph ngaphaya kwemida emifutshane. Ziye zinoxanduva lokufa kwabantu abangenakubalwa, ngokuqhelekileyo ngaphandle kokukhwaza. Iimvubu ziza kuhlasela zombini kunye nasemanzini, kunye neengozi ezininzi ezibandakanya imvukazi ehlawula isikebhe okanye iinqanawa. Ngaloo ndlela, ngokuqhelekileyo zibhekwa njengezona ziyingozi kakhulu kuzo zonke izilwanyana zaseAfrika .
Xa zithukuthele, amavubu avule umhlathi wazo malunga ne-180 ° kwisigxina esisongelayo. Iinjini zabo kunye nama-incisors azizange ziyeke ukukhula, kwaye zigcinwe zihlale zibukhali njengoko zixubene kunye.
Iingxowa zamabhokhwe angamadoda angakhula ukuya kuma-intshi angama-intshi / 50 amasentimitha, kwaye ziwasebenzisa ukulwa kwintsimi kunye namabhinqa. Akumangalisi, ngelixa iingwenya ze-Nile, iingonyama kunye neenkozo zijolise kwiivubu ezincinci, abantu abadala bezilwanyana abanalo izilwanyana zasendle endle.
Nangona kunjalo, njengezilwanyana ezininzi ezinokuthi zisongelwe ngumntu. Zibekwe njengolu xhatshazo kwiLuhlu oluLweli lwe-IUCN ngo-2006, emva kokubandezeleka kwezinga labantu ukuya kuma-20% ngaphezu kwexesha eliyiminyaka elishumi. Bazingelwa (okanye baxhatshazwa) kwiindawo ezininzi ze-Afrika ngenxa yenyama kunye nezinto zabo, ezisetyenziselwa ukufaka indawo yeendlovu zendlovu. Ukukhushulwa kwe-Hippo kubaluleke kakhulu kwiindawo ezixhatshazwe yimfazwe njengeDemocratic Republic of Congo, apho ubuhlwempu bubenzele khona ukutya okuxabisekileyo.
Iimvubu zisongelwa kulo lonke uluhlu lwazo ngokuthi zithengise ishishini, eliye lachaphazela ukukwazi ukufikelela kumanzi amanzi kunye nokutya.
Ukuba uvumelekile ukuba uphile ngobomi bendalo, amavubu anokuphila ubomi malunga neminyaka engama-40 ukuya kwe-50, kunye ne-irekhodi yevuba elide kakhulu eliya kuDonna, ohlala kwi-Mesker Park Zoo & Garden Botanic, owafa ngexesha elidala 62 ngo-2012.