Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Hippos
On Sunday I was watching a National Geographic "Rare Moments Caught on Tape" and I saw footage that rocked me to my emotional core.
A gazelle had been attacked by an alligator and lay dying in the dirt. The poor thing was damn tore up. A hippo happened to be meandering by and noticed the hurt animal. It walked over to the gazelle and started licking it on the forehead.
I looked at Paul and said "I thought hippos were herbivores! Why is she going to eat the gazelle?" Paul said "Just watch." Side note: Paul watches National Geographic all the time so he had seen the episode prior.
The hippo licked the gazelle and then put it's head in her mouth. She closed down hard and stayed in that position for a few seconds.
"Paul, she's eating the gazelle! I can't watch this."
"Joe, just watch."
As a huge animal lover, I nervously watched with eyes peeking through my fingers...
The hippo then picked up the gazelle's head and held it in her mouth until the gazelle went limp. Then the hippo licked the gazelle's head and walked off.
I looked at Paul confused. "Wha happened?"
Paul explained, "Hippos are very sensitive animals. She noticed that the gazelle was hurt and dying and she put it's head in her mouth in order to kill it. She wanted the gazelle's suffering to end."
My jaw fell to the floor.
The narrator came on and said "Hippos are very sensitive animals and when they see an animal hurt, they will euthanize them to ease the pain."
I was agape.
First, that Paul knew the narration word by word, and second, that hippos are this emotionally driven.
For some reason I couldn't wait to write about this in my journal. Strange, I know. But amazing? Oh yeah.
Hippos are nicer than me, I think.
On Sunday I was watching a National Geographic "Rare Moments Caught on Tape" and I saw footage that rocked me to my emotional core.
A gazelle had been attacked by an alligator and lay dying in the dirt. The poor thing was damn tore up. A hippo happened to be meandering by and noticed the hurt animal. It walked over to the gazelle and started licking it on the forehead.
I looked at Paul and said "I thought hippos were herbivores! Why is she going to eat the gazelle?" Paul said "Just watch." Side note: Paul watches National Geographic all the time so he had seen the episode prior.
The hippo licked the gazelle and then put it's head in her mouth. She closed down hard and stayed in that position for a few seconds.
"Paul, she's eating the gazelle! I can't watch this."
"Joe, just watch."
As a huge animal lover, I nervously watched with eyes peeking through my fingers...
The hippo then picked up the gazelle's head and held it in her mouth until the gazelle went limp. Then the hippo licked the gazelle's head and walked off.
I looked at Paul confused. "Wha happened?"
Paul explained, "Hippos are very sensitive animals. She noticed that the gazelle was hurt and dying and she put it's head in her mouth in order to kill it. She wanted the gazelle's suffering to end."
My jaw fell to the floor.
The narrator came on and said "Hippos are very sensitive animals and when they see an animal hurt, they will euthanize them to ease the pain."
I was agape.
First, that Paul knew the narration word by word, and second, that hippos are this emotionally driven.
For some reason I couldn't wait to write about this in my journal. Strange, I know. But amazing? Oh yeah.
Hippos are nicer than me, I think.
