Safari terror as bull hippo gets heavy
WHEN a territorial hippo attacked during a river safari in Botswana, wildlife photographer Michael Tucker could think of nothing but getting the “money shot”.
Tucker, a professional photographer from Johannesburg, was on holiday with his wife, Jacqueline, at Chobe National Park in Botswana recently when their leisurely boat cruise turned into a hair-raising adventure. When the boat stalled, the hippo charged.
Tucker’s photographic instinct in the face of danger resulted in him capturing a series of amazing shots of the animal.
The photographs have gone viral and been published in in- ternational publications.
“We headed out early morning and our guide decided to cut the engine and drift towards the pod where the hippos were, so that the animals [wouldn’t] feel threatened.
“Our hippo did not get the memo,” said Tucker. Without warning, a male hippo charged the boat at “amazing speed”.
“Being a wildlife photographer, you are dialled into getting the shot,” Tucker said.
But he began to worry when the boat’s engine did not start after two tries and the animal continued to charge. The hippo was only a few metres away when the boat kicked into reverse gear.
“Fortunately it was third time lucky and we managed to get away. Once the boat started moving backwards, the hippo headed back to his pod.” The Tuckers were relieved. “In all my years of wildlife photography, this is the most afraid I have ever been. It all happened extremely quickly and fortunately our guide, after three attempts, got us out of there.”
Tucker said the one thing on his mind was to “get that shot”.
“I always err on the side of caution when photographing wild animals; safety is paramount. On this occasion there was nothing I could do as a passenger on a boat.”
Tucker was convinced the hippo would have flipped their small aluminium boat.
“Whether I was taking photos or not seems trivial.”
The Tuckers were not the only couple to encounter a hippo in Chobe recently.
British couple Rob and Jessica Masterson were on a safari cruise last year when a female hippo charged them after they tried to get a closer look at her young calf. The couple’s guide got them to safety.
Watch the video on timeslive.co.za
In all my years of wildlife photography, this is the most afraid I have ever been