# @natgeo on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CKgAf9mAYXO
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/11686483-natgeo-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/b1776960d3.jpg
- **Posted:** 2021-01-26T07:39:30.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** National Geographic (@NatGeo) — https://gondola.cc/NatGeo

## Caption

Photo by beverlyjoubert / It will be a while before these youngsters are able to deploy that infamous hippo gape to full effect… but it’s never too early to start practicing. After all, for young mammals, rough-and-tumble play is how inborn instincts and fledgling skills are honed in preparation for the very real dangers of adult life. And despite its gargantuan size, the hippo has reason to put its defensive weaponry to use–a tangle over territory, perhaps, or a crocodile intent on snatching a vulnerable calf. Sometimes, a warning "yawn" alone might be enough to deter the offender—but once those hippo incisors go to work, they can inflict serious injury. For now at least, the play-fighting continues… #hippo #hippocalf  #Okavango #wildlife

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 183,888
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 495

## Tags

okavango, hippocalf, hippo, wildlife

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