A baby hippo brayed for rescue after a flock of birds landed on its back and tried to hitch a ride.
The hippo was seen running and twisting its body from side to side in an attempt to shake off his unwanted passengers.
Oxpeckers and hippos usually have a mutually beneficial relationship where the birds help free hippos of ticks and other parasites by feeding on them.
But judging by these images the oxpeckers proved to be a far from welcome guest.
Shocked by the bird’s arrival on its back the calf ran towards the water in the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia in an attempt to scare them off.
And it wasn’t long before they gave up trying to feed on the hippo and flew away.
Marc Mol, 56, captured the encounter while he was crouched low in a river focusing his lens on a pod of hippos.
He said: ‘I was busy concentrating on a pod of hippos, when all of a sudden I saw the baby running toward me with his pursuers.
‘I was at first astonished as to what was going on, seeing this baby hippo running towards me and the safety of water and then realised it was a small flock of Ox-peckers that were the culprits. It was very amusing to witness.
‘The baby hippo was clearly not used to the Red & Yellow oxpeckers on his back.’
Mr Mol, from Switzerland, said within about 10 second the hippo wanted the birds off his back.
He said: ‘He was attempting to rid them off his back by twisting and shaking as he scrambled back to the safety of mum and the water.’
Mr Mol said in time, the hippo will come to appreciate his feathered friends.
‘One will always see oxpeckers on the adult hippos, as they share a symbiotic relationship, but a first for me with such a young one and his associated funny antics.
‘I had a real laugh when I realised that I had captured something a little different and yet very amusing.
‘I love the expression on this little guy’s face as he frantically tries to fend off what he sees as annoying pests.’
Source: dailymail.co.uk
Related Posts:
