The idea of bulletproof animals captures the imagination. Hippos, with their thick hides and aggressive nature, seem like they could deflect bullets. But is there any truth to the myth of the bulletproof hippo? Read on to uncover the facts behind this enduring legend.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: No, hippos are not truly bulletproof. Their thick skin offers some protection against small firearms, but they can be penetrated by larger caliber bullets. Hippos can survive gunshot wounds, but they are not impervious.
The Origins of the Myth
Early European Explorers
The myth that hippos are bulletproof likely originated from early European explorers in Africa in the 19th century. When these explorers first encountered hippos, they were amazed by their massive size and thick skin.
They observed that bullets would often bounce off or become embedded in a hippo’s skin without penetrating deep enough to cause fatal injury. This led to exaggerated stories spreading about hippos being impervious to bullets.
Some specific examples help illustrate the origins of this myth. In 1847, German explorer Heinrich Barth wrote in his journal about hippos: “A great many elephants, rhinoceroses, and hippopotami are killed every year by the natives…but it is exceedingly difficult to obtain a full-grown hippopotamus, on account of the toughness of their hide, and their tenacious love of life.”
This first-hand account highlights how difficult early hunters found it to kill hippos.
Similarly, British explorer David Livingstone wrote in his Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa (1857) about witnessing native tribesmen unsuccessfully attacking a hippo multiple times with spears due to its “bulletproof” skin.
Stories like these spread the exaggeration that hippos were impervious to weapons.
Observations in the Wild
In addition to early European accounts, observations of hippos in the wild helped contribute to the bulletproof myth. Due to their highly aggressive and territorial nature, hippos were frequently observed dueling with each other.
Male hippos fighting over territory or mates would sometimes inflict severe gashes on each other with their tusks, yet the injured hippo could remarkably recover from these usually fatal-looking wounds.
Seeing hippos easily survive brutal wounds and attacks reinforced the idea that they were unusually resilient animals. Even today, observers sometimes capture vivid footage of hippos surviving intense attacks by crocodiles or of males dueling viciously with gaping wounds.
These astonishing scenes likely fuel the continued perception that hippos are near invincible.
While the thickness of a hippo’s skin and their aggressive healing abilities probably helped inspire myths about their bulletproof nature, the reality is their skin is not impenetrable. High-powered modern rifles can successfully penetrate a hippo’s skin with proper shot placement.
Still, the popular imagination continues to envision hippos as bulletproof beasts. This serves as a testament to the durability and strength of nature’s largest land mammal.
Hippo Hide and Skin Structure
Thickness and Toughness
The hippopotamus has extremely thick and tough skin, which serves as great protection. An adult hippo’s hide can be up to 2 inches thick, making their skin much thicker than other animals like rhinos and elephants. This thick hide is dense and durable, providing hippos great defense against threats.
Tests have shown hippo leather requires over 37,000 Newtons of force to punch through – that’s an astounding 8,000 pounds of force needed to break their skin.
The thickness and toughness of a hippo’s skin gives them almost impenetrable armor against predators and injury. Their durable hide allows adult hippos to withstand intense puncture wounds, slashes from claws, and even serve as protection against some bullets.
Hippo skin thickness and strength develops as they age; baby hippos have thinner skin that is more vulnerable until they mature. The incredible resilience of fully developed hippo leather is a key reason they can live intensely territorial and aggressive lives.
Their rugged hide allows them to sustain fierce fights with rivals and predators without much damage. It’s amazing how durable their body shield is!
Fat Content
Underneath their tough exterior, hippos have large fat reserves making up a big portion of their colossal body mass. Hippos have the highest fat content of any land animal, with levels between 15-25% higher than other mammals.
This huge amount of fat works as an extra shield under their thick skin, making them even more impervious to attack. Their fat layer is thickest around the abdomen and back regions for extra cushioning when fighting rivalry males.
The hippo’s sizable fat content also gives them tremendous buoyancy which allows them to walk underwater and float efficiently despite their immense size.
The hippopotamus truly has a body built like a tank thanks to their robust hide and ample fat stores – allowing them to withstand intense hostile encounters. Their durable skin foundation reinforced by thick fat deposits makes penetration very difficult and contributes to their reputation as one of the most well-protected mammals.
Hippos can afford to be violent and domineering thanks to their bulletproof composition. Anyone who witnesses these beasts in action would surely agree they are aptly named river horses, possessing horsepower and strength in spades!
Documented Examples of Hippos Surviving Gunshots
Hippos have a reputation for being nearly indestructible, and there are some amazing stories documenting their ability to withstand gunshot wounds. Here are a few incredible examples:
Battle at Kruger National Park
One of the most famous hippo survival stories was captured on video in 2004 at South Africa’s Kruger National Park. A baby hippo became stuck in mud and was attacked by a pride of lions. The herd tried unsuccessfully to rescue the baby.
Just when it seemed the baby would be killed, an adult female hippo returned and chased the lions away. Amazingly, despite being bitten repeatedly by the lions, the female hippo survived and rescued the baby. The video went viral as proof of a hippo’s toughness.
Hippo Survives 50 Caliber Bullets
In 1910, a hippo living in the Bahr-el-Ghazal region of South Sudan was documented to have survived multiple gunshot wounds from a 50 caliber rifle over the course of several weeks. Even after being shot in the head multiple times, the hippo continued to terrorize riverboat travelers.
It took over two dozen bullets to finally kill the animal. Stories like this added to the hippo’s legendary status as bulletproof.
Zambian Hippo Shot Repeatedly
A hippo in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park also exhibited unbelievable resilience after being shot by poachers in 2016. The hippo survived multiple gunshot wounds and continued wandering near villages and presenting a danger to residents.
Zambian wildlife authorities eventually had to euthanize the hippo, but only after multiple further attempts to kill the animal. Stories like this make it clear how hard it can be to take down a hippo.
Other Examples
There are many more accounts of hippos sustaining gunshot wounds or attacks from animals and surviving. While they may not be 100% bulletproof, their thick skin, fierce spirit, and layer of subcutaneous fat allows them to withstand injuries that would kill most other animals.
Their ability to survive gunshots and attacks adds to the hippo’s legendary status as one of the most dangerous and tenacious large animals in Africa.
Limits of Hippo Bullet Resistance
Low Velocity Bullets
Hippos can withstand surprisingly well against low velocity bullets thanks to their thick skin and layer of fat. Their skin can be up to 2 inches thick in places, helping to absorb the impact of slower moving bullets before they reach vital organs.
Additionally, hippos secrete a natural “red sweat” that acts as a sunscreen but may also have mild antibiotic properties to prevent infection if the skin is broken.
According to a study published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, most handgun and low velocity rifle bullets only penetrate the first few layers of a hippo’s skin and do not cause life threatening injuries.
The researchers found that hippos sustained only minor tissue damage from .38 caliber rounds fired from distances over 10 meters away. The hippos were relatively unaffected and showed no signs of infection after being shot.
While their skin does provide excellent bullet resistance against slower rounds, researchers still recommend not shooting hippos with low powered weapons. Though the initial wounds may seem minor, secondary infections, inflammation, and other complications could still potentially be life threatening over time without proper medical treatment.
High Velocity Bullets
Although a hippo’s skin can absorb the impact from handgun and slower moving rounds, they are not totally impervious to bullets. Higher velocity rifle bullets are still able to penetrate their thick hide and blubber when fired at close range.
According to zoologists, bullets traveling over 2,000 feet per second from high powered hunting rifles can penetrate a hippo’s layer of skin and cause mortal damage to internal organs. Even if the round passes completely through skin, the permanent cavitation and shock waves caused can rupture key blood vessels and tissues needed to sustain basic body functions.
High velocity bullets maintain much more kinetic energy at longer distances too. For example, the common 7mm hunting round can puncture hippo skin from over 200 meters away when fired from a scoped rifle.
Thus while hippos can withstand lower energy pistol and SMG fire, they are certainly not bullet “proof” against modern high powered rifle rounds.
Other Animal Defense Adaptations
Rhinoceros
Rhinos have one of the most impressive defenses in the animal kingdom—their horns. Their horns are not made of bone but keratin, the same protein that makes up hair and fingernails. White and black rhinos have two horns while Indian and Javan rhinos only have one.
Rhino horns can grow over three feet long and are incredibly strong.
Rhinos use their horns for defending territory, intimidating adversaries, and fighting. The horns help protect them from predators like lions, tigers, and hyenas. When threatened, rhinos charge with their heads down, horns ready to gore and toss predators aside.
Their thick skin also helps defend them from bites and scratches during battles. An adult rhinoceros is a challenging prey for even groups of predators.
Besides their obvious horns and thick skin, rhinos also have excellent senses of smell and hearing to detect potential threats early. Their eyesight is poor but their ears and nose make up for that weakness. Overall, the rhinoceros has one of the best combinations of offense and defense in nature.
Elephant
Elephants use their large size and tusks as formidable defenses. African elephants can weigh over 10 tons and stand 13 feet tall. With size on their side, few predators will risk attacking them. Even a group of lions think twice about engaging an adult elephant.
Elephant tusks are giant teeth made of ivory that extend up to 10 feet long and can weigh over 100 pounds each. They use these tusks to fend off lions, tigers, hyenas, and other threats. A swipe from an elephant’s tusk can maim predators.
Some elephants have even impaled attacking lions on their tusks, deterring other lions from approaching.
Besides tusks and size, elephants travel in closely bonded family herds for additional defense. Elephant groups cooperate to scare off or fight enemies as a team. This makes taking down even a solitary elephant a risky maneuver for predators.
Between size, tusks, and teamwork elephants have mastered the art of self-defense over their long evolutionary history.
Conclusion
While hippos have thick skin that offers some protection, they are not truly bulletproof. Their natural armor can resist smaller firearms and allow them to survive some gunshot wounds, but larger caliber bullets can penetrate their hide.
The legend of impervious hippos captured imaginations, but the reality is their bullet resistance has limits. Still, the adaptive traits of hippos and other megafauna remain impressive.
