Imvubu ingenye yezilwane ezitholakala kakhulu futhi ezithandeka kakhulu kuzo zonke izilwane zase-Afrika, kodwa kungase kube enye yezinto ezingalindelekile kakhulu. Izilwane ezivame ukubonakala kwi-safaris yase-Afrika yi-hippopotamus evamile (i- Hippopotamus amphibius ), enye yezinhlobo ezimbili ezisele ezihlala emndenini weHippopotamidae. Enye imvubu yezilwane yi-pygmy hippopotamus, isizwe esingasengozini emazweni aseNtshonalanga Afrika kubandakanya iLiberia, iSierra Leone neGuinea.
Imvubu evamile ihlukaniswa kalula kwezinye izilwane ze-safari , ngenxa yokubukeka kwayo okuyingqayizivele. Ziyizinhlobo zezilwane zasemhlabeni ezincane kakhulu ezithathu (emva kwazo zonke izinhlobo zezindlovu nezinhlobo eziningana ze-rhino), ngesilinganiso semvubu esikhulile esilinganisa ngamakhilogremu angu-3,085 / 1,400 kilogram. Abesilisa bakhulu kunabesifazane, nakuba besencane kakhulu babheka okufanayo nangemizimba enamandla, engenaswele kanye nemilomo emikhulu ehlonywe ngamathambo ahlangene.
Nakuba ama-hippa angenazo izibopho zomphakathi eziqinile kakhulu, atholakale emaqenjini angaba ngu-100 abantu. Bahlala endaweni ethile yomfula, kanti nakuba bephefumula umoya njenganoma yisiphi esinye isilwane esilisayo, basebenzisa isikhathi sabo esiningi emanzini. Bahlala emifuleni, emachibi nasemanzini emifula, besebenzisa amanzi ukuze ahlale epholile ngaphansi kokushisa kwelanga lase-Afrika. Bahlala ndawonye, bashade, babeletha futhi balwa nendawo emanzini, kodwa bashiya indawo yabo yomfula ukuze badle emanzini omfula ngasebusuku.
Igama lomvubu livela esiGrekini sasendulo sokuba "ihhashi lomfula", futhi akungabazeki ukuthi imvubu ihlelwe kahle ukuze iphile emanzini. Amehlo abo, izindlebe namazinyo konke kuphezu kwamakhanda abo, okuvumela ukuba bahlale becishe bafakwe ngaphakathi ngaphandle kokuphefumula. Kodwa-ke, nakuba zihlome izinyawo zewebhu, amavubu awakwazi ukuzulazula futhi angabhukumi kahle.
Ngakho-ke, ngokuvamile bavalelwe emanzini angajulile, lapho bengabamba umoya wabo kuze kube maminithi amahlanu.
Imvubu inamanye amaningana afanelekayo, okubandakanya ikhono labo lokufihla uhlobo lokukhanya kwelanga elibomvu kusuka esikhumbeni sabo esinama-inch / ayisithupha ubukhulu obukhulu. Ziyi-herbivorous, zidla ama-pounds angu-150/68 kg utshani njalo kusihlwa. Naphezu kwalokhu, amavubu anedumela elivalo lokuhlukumezeka futhi anendawo kakhulu, ngokuvamile asebenzisa ubudlova ukuze avikele isikebhe somfula (uma kwenzeka izimbongolo zamadoda) noma ukuvikela inzalo yabo (uma kwenzeka izimbongolokazi).
Kungase kubonakale kungaqondakali emhlabathini, kodwa amavubu angakwazi ukuqhuma okusheshayo kwejubane elimangalisayo, ngokuvamile afinyelela ku-19 mph / 30 kmp phezu kwemifushane emifushane. Baye babhekene nokufa kwabantu abaningi, ngokuvamile ngaphandle kokucasula. Imvubu izohlasela kokubili emhlabathini nasemanzini, izingozi eziningana ezibandakanya imvubu ephethe isikebhe noma isikebhe. Ngenxa yalokho, ngokuvamile kubhekwa njengenye yezilwane eziyingozi kakhulu kuzo zonke izilwane zase-Afrika .
Uma ilaka, amavubu avula imifino yawo cishe ku-180 ° esimweni esabisayo sokusongela. Ama-canines ahlanganisiwe ne-incisors akakaze ayeke, futhi agcinwa njalo ngokubamba njengoba ehlile ndawonye.
Izimpondo zamabhongo ezingamaduna zingakhula ngamasentimitha angu-50/50 ububanzi, futhi zizisebenzisela ukulwa nensimu nabesifazane. Ngokumangalisa, ngenkathi izingwenya ze-Nile, izingonyama ngisho nama-hyenas zingase zibheke amavubu amancane, abantu abadala bezinhlobo zezilwane abanayo izilwane zasendle endle.
Noma kunjalo, njengezilwane eziningi kangaka ikusasa labo lisongelwa yindoda. Zibalwa njengezihlukumezekile ohlwini lwe-IUCN Red Red ngonyaka ka-2006, ngemuva kokuhlukunyezwa kwabantu abafinyelela ku-20% esikhathini esiyiminyaka eyishumi. Bazingelwa (noma baxoshwa) ezindaweni eziningana zase-Afrika ngenxa yenyama yabo kanye nemithi yabo, esetshenziselwa esikhundleni sezindlovu zendlovu. I-Hippo poaching ivame kakhulu emazweni anqotshwe yimpi njengeDemocratic Republic of the Congo, lapho ububha bubenze khona umthombo wokudla owusizo.
Imvubu nayo isongelwa kulo lonke uhlangothi lwazo ngokubhidliza imboni, okuye kwaphazamisa ikhono labo lokufinyelela emanzini amasha nendawo yokudla.
Uma kuvunyelwe ukuba baphile impilo yemvelo, amavubu aphila iminyaka engaba ngu-40 kuya ku-50, nerekhodi le mvubu ede kakhulu kunazo zonke eya kuDonna, ohlala eMesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden, oshonile ngesikhathi esegugile 62 ngo-2012.