When tourists sign up for a lake tour, they probably don't sign on for a major hippo chase.
According to MSNBC, two Vancouver men, Evan Petkau and Luke Willms, on a tour of Kenya's Lake Naivasha, found themselves on a motorboat stuck between pods of hippos. The hippos began to chase their boat, and it was all caught on a video that makes car chases seem like child's play.
As the men describe, "We got a little too close, one of the females felt threatened and started chasing our boat, and then all of a sudden they started coming from the side and the boat motor was going at full blast, and all we could do is just circle and circle until they stopped flanking us."
Petkua defends their actions, including the laughter heard on the video, stating that "They think we're out there teasing the hippos. But actually the laughter is just nervous laughter." The footage is rare because, according to wildlife shows, a hippo charge is hardly ever caught from start to finish.
While the men survived the chase, they don't plan to return anytime soon. As Willms remarks, "I think we're going to steer clear of Lake Naivasha, probably just stick to land or horseback safaris."
Hippos are the third largest land animal and are notoriously aggressive. According to the San Diego Zoo, they are one of the most dangerous mammals, and can kill a person if provoked. That said, their tusks and canine teeth are normally used defensively or in fighting other hippos. The hippo's habitat has been greatly reduced recently due to poaching -- hippos are hunted for their soft, ivory tusks.
WATCH the hippo chase:
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