Hippos fly in the air at maximum speed: researchers have made an unexpected discovery

Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College in the UK have proven that hippos can fly. These seemingly unstoppable giants lift off the ground simultaneously with all four legs as they rush at full speed.

Fast hippos are even capable of rising into the air for about 15% of their stride, or 0.3 seconds. Considering that an adult male weighs more than three tons, such flights seem incredible, NewAtlas writes.

Scientists from the British Veterinary College studied the 169 steps of 32 hippos. They found that these mammals are excellent at running at a trot, and when they press their "gas pedals" to the maximum, they are able to fly up. It is worth noting that these giants can reach speeds of up to 35 km/h.

This discovery puts hippos on the highest stage of sportsmanship among large mammals. Elephants, for example, move the same way even at high speeds and never fully lift off the ground. Rhinos can walk, trot and even gallop, but are also unable to rise above the surface.

"It is difficult to work with hippos as they tend to stick to the water. They are also very dangerous. This is part of the reason why science has known very little about how hippos move. So we are very excited to present the first study focused solely on discovering how hippos walk and run. We were pleasantly surprised to see how they rise into the air when they run fast - it's amazing!" said research team leader, Professor of Evolutionary Biomechanics John Gutchinson.

The scientist said the study is important for understanding what it means to be a large animal and move around on land. The work also helps scientists piece together the evolution of large land animals' locomotion, starting with giant dinosaurs.

"Understanding more about the species we work with will help us improve the care we can provide to these animals in the future," said Flamingo Land Resort science and conservation officer Kieran Holliday.

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