Africa's most dangerous alpha male: the hippopotamus.
He's big—males can weigh over 4,000 pounds.
He's fast—that bulky body can reach speeds of 30 miles per hour.
He's fierce.
Hippos have been known to kill people, even though they're vegetarians.
Very territorial vegetarians.
Dominant hippo bulls usually preside over a territory that includes a pod of females.
This old male is king of this stretch of the river...and has the battle scars to prove it.
But a young bachelor is ready to stage a coup.
And he gets right to the point...biting off the old male's tail.
Hippo teeth are formidable weapons.
The four tusk-like canines can grow up to a foot long, and they're razor-sharp.
Those jaws can open four feet wide, and snap closed with a bite force of almost one ton, enough to crush a crocodile...or take out a powerboat.
Add to that a 500-pound head and it's like facing off with a very angry armored tank.
Already injured, the senior doesn't even try to overcome his attacker.
For 45 minutes, the young male continues his assault.
He only stops when the old leader submits to his rule, allowing him to mount him in a show of dominance.
It's the ultimate defeat.
The old warrior has lost his tail...and his mates.
The new king of the river opens wide to proclaim his victory.
:
Then he bombs his new territory with feces.
Narr:
The old alpha male slinks off in defeat.
He may have lost the battle, but to other predators, he's still the king.
