This post was first published on the site of our good friends Discover Wildlife, still available at www.discoverwildlife.com/animals/hippo-whisperer
Volatile and aggressive, hippos are hard to get close to, unless – like Karen Paolillo – you talk to them.
Using her voice to pacify these wary animals, she has gained unique access to their intimate society and witnessed behaviour never seen before.
Hippos are said to be the most dangerous large animals in Africa. Though herbivorous, they can inflict deadly wounds with their formidable lower canines. And they don’t take kindly to intruders in their waters. So, to study a pod living on Zimbabwe’s River Turgwe, I had to become a ‘river horse whisperer’.
Hippos are very social and vocal animals, and I found that talking in an endless monologue enabled me to observe them closely without disturbing them. I could sit just metres from a wallowing herd, yet the hippos would ignore me, continuing to roll, play, groom and even mate. But if I paused for breath, they immediately became wary and abandoned what they were doing.
Up close and personal
I’ve studied hippos for 17 years, and during this time I’ve witnessed some extraordinary behaviour.
One winter afternoon, I watched Sabi, a young calf, approach one of the Nile crocodiles basking in the sun. I assumed that, as usual, she would nudge the reptile out of the way and claim its sunbathing spot. But instead she began licking the crocodile’s spiky hindquarters and tail, her drool dribbling down its flanks. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
While it’s extremely rare to see hippos grooming predators, they frequently lick fellow pod members, particularly around the rear. I believe this is a cleaning response, and that the scent of dung on the animals’ skin stimulates their fellow hippos to groom them.
Males in particular spray their dung sideways, flicking their tails to spread the mess around. If a crocodile gets in the way – which is almost unavoidable when living in such close quarters – it may end up spattered. I think that this is what stimulated Sabi to lick her croc.
To the rescue
Hippos fearlessly defend their families and their territories, but, remarkably, they also intervene on behalf of other animals.
One day, I saw a crocodile grab a dainty bushbuck doe as she drank from the river. The croc dragged the doe underwater, resurfacing minutes later with her lifeless corpse in its jaws. But before he could consume his prize, Cheeky, a juvenile female hippo, raced over and wrestled the bushbuck’s body from its captor. A tug-of-war ensued but eventually the reptile reclaimed the carcass and swam off.
Since then, I have seen hippos intervene in crocodile hunts several times, often saving the life of the victim. I recently witnessed a croc launch itself at a young monkey that was dangling from vegetation to feed, missing it by millimetres. Seconds later, two hippos charged the crocodile, forcing it to beat a hasty retreat.
My only explanation for this unusual behaviour is pure curiosity – hippos appear to know the river and have to investigate anything unusual. And perhaps they consider themselves the guardians of the River Turgwe.
Talking your way out of trouble
I, too, am an object of the Turgwe hippos’ curiosity, but a recent event made me feel that the pod may finally have come to accept me.
I was talking to my study family as they slept in the shallows. Suddenly, the grass rustled behind me. I turned to see the pod’s two tonne dominant bull just a couple of metres away, staring at me. He had charged me several times before, leaving me stranded in trees.
Fearing for my life, I leapt into the river, but submerged rocks snagged me and I floundered. Glancing up, I saw to my astonishment that the bull hadn’t budged. He stood, watching me, but showing no sign of his usual malice. Then, he entered the river at the exact spot I had just vacated, so close that I could see every hair on his hide and smell his horse-like stench.
Quietly, he rejoined his family and I realised that my years of talking to these extraordinary hippos had probably just saved my life.
To buy tickets please follow the above link and select the donate in £'s. Donate the amount for the number of tickets required and Karen will forward them to you.
Hear about feeding wildlife especially the Turgwe Hippos and many other wild animals in severe droughts where they all would have perished. Presented by Karen Paolillo the founder of the Turgwe Hippo Trust.
Watch video footage filmed from trail cameras in situ at the feeding areas during the 2024 drought. See unusual and interesting footage of various wild animals that fed during that 10-month period. Hippos, Elephants, buffalo, warthogs, wildebeest, zebra etc.
Meet Anthony Martin CBE, of the AVM Foundation.
Watch 15-minute film created by Actor, Filmmaker and Producer Dan Richardson. Filmed on site in Zimbabwe in July at Turgwe Hippo Trust.
Meet Actor and Animal Advocate and Auctioneer for the evening PETER EGAN, After Life, Death at a funeral, Downton Abbey, Chariots of Fire and so much more from stage and screen. Also meet Actor Mark Bonnar, Shetlands, Napoleon etc.
Donate to a cause that helps not just the Turgwe Hippos but any wildlife in the area. Protecting them from poaching, sport hunting, and natural events such as droughts and floods. People that step in every single day to keep them all safe and alive in the wild.
Purchase one or both books, A HIPPO LOVE STORY or HIPPOS A MONGOOSE AND ME published by Penguin South Africa, written and personally signed by Karen Paolillo; memoir and stories about living and protecting hippos and other wild animals in a remote area of the African bush for over three decades.
Purchase ‘Legacy of Love’, a book that celebrates the relationship between animals and actors, artists, photographers, animal charity founders; this includes the Turgwe Hippo Trust.
Purchase the 2027 Turgwe Hippo Trust hippo calendar presenting some of the hippos of the Turgwe River or the 2027 wild animals calendar. Images for both calendars by Karen Paolillo.
Join all of us for an inspiring evening learning more about the hippos, one of Africa’s iconic species, and helping to protect the Turgwe Hippos to continue their wild lives in the south east lowveld of Zimbabwe within the Turgwe River.
Auction items:
1)Stay for 2 people with Karen and Jean-Roger at Hippo Haven, headquarters of the Turgwe Hippo Trust in Zimbabwe for 9 nights, which can include 2 nights in the Gona Re Zhou National Park at a rustic bush camp where you pay National Parks for that experience. Jean-Roger and Karen Paolillo will personally drive you there (2 hours from Hippo Haven) and bring and prepare the food.This does not include air tickets to Zimbabwe or travel by courier service Harare to Hippo Haven and Return. (5-hour drive).Jean-Roger and Karen Paolillo will pick you up at the entrance to the Conservancy which is 70 kilometres from Hippo Haven and return you to the boom at the end of you stay , where you will be collected by the Courier service.
Accommodation in Harare at your own cost, the Paolillo’s can suggest hotels and guest lodges. Dates this is available at this moment are between June to end of September, date to be arranged with the Paolillos by end of November 2026. Winter months in Zimbabwe i.e. cooler nights June to August. August and September hotter around 30 degrees in August in daytime but it can go as high as 36 degrees in September, climate change notwithstanding.You may be lucky enough to meet Max hippo, the Turgwe Hippo Trust house hippo if he is still visiting the house in 2027.
Value of Stay at Hippo Haven, Turgwe Hippo Trust Zimbabwe £3700
Transport Harare to boom and return to Harare 900km. £800 to be paid by winning bid
CHITAKE This is one of several paintings I have done of Zimbabwe’s Chitake Springs, one of the wonders of the wildlife world. The Chitake river bed itself is sandy and dry for most of the year, flanked on both sides by cliffs gouged out by the river over hundreds of years. On top of the cliffs the iconic towering baobab trees, perhaps a thousand years old, add to the grandeur of this gem of wild Africa. A spring wells up and is the only water for many miles. When myself and my family camp here the best times are when we are alone – just us with no noise other than those of a wild world that pays no attention to us. On the occasion of this painting the Cape Buffalo herd of over a thousand has not yet arrived, the lion pride of over 30 individuals is waiting patiently in the shade of the giant baobabs, and the elephant have ambled up for their midday drink. Small numbers of Impala are left after the main herd has finished drinking, Helmeted Guineafowl have arrived, and huge numbers of Cape Turtle Doves are milling around, drinking as fast as they can, then leaving in a flash of wings before the Lanner Falcons strike. This is raw untamed Africa at its best and a paradise for me as an artist.
Value of Chitake £3700 Ant Fynn
Framed size 26”x 36”
IMPALAS by ANT FYNN
Size 14” x 23” value £400
Richard Symonds passion and commitment to wildlife spans over 20 years.
He has held a number of exhibitions and auctions in and around London including Christies and Sotheby’s and his work can be found in private and corporate collections worldwide.
In 2006 Richard hit the headlines with his life size oil painting of an African bull elephant which sold for a staggering $100,000 to a private collector. With a large donation from that sale going to the Born Free Foundation. Richard has always pledged to himself that whilst making his living from his wildlife art it only feels right to balance his success with giving back to the wild by raising funds through the sale and auctions of his originals and prints.
Value of LION by Richard Symonds
£3500
Framed 24”x38”
I've known about Karen's dedication towards hippos, warthogs and other creatures living locally to her area for a few years now and am happy to help through my art whenever possible. So when she contacted me recently about her latest event being organised for the Turgwe Hippo Trust, I chose this special framed print for her auction at the Royal Geographical Society. Having the THT patron, Peter Egan as the esteemed auctioneer will surely help as he's one of the good guys, involved in many wildlife charities.
Besides 'Hippo' being an embellished print, which means I have personally added many thousands of new pencil strokes over many hours on top of the print making it more dynamic and quite unique. It becomes much closer to an original drawing and this particular copy has also been co-signed by two shining lights of the conservation world, Dame Virginia McKenna and Rula Lenska.
I've been fortunate to have witnessed serene scenes like this many times over the past 36 years, in Kenya, Tanzania, Gabon, Botswana and most of all in South Luangwa, Zambia where hippos abound in their thousands.
Value of HIPPO by Gary Hodges £845 unframed
Size 45.5cm x 15.5cm
Suzie’s animal sculptures have gained great acclaim over the last 35 years and she now has a loyal following both in the UK and abroad. She has undertaken many private and business commissions including sculpture exhibits for a museum in Taiwan and two public installations, one of Nelson the Seal at Looe Harbour in Cornwall, the other of Police Dog Finn at Layston Court Gardens, Buntingford, Hertfordshire. Her work reflects her love of animals and her fascination with their character and form. She often produces work to aid animal charities close to her heart and this has taken her to the Animals Asia bear sanctuaries in China and Vietnam as well as the Turgwe Hippo Trust in Zimbabwe. In recognition of her own four cats who double as artist’s models, Suzie is also a keen supporter of Cats Protection. Her initial work is in clay and her originals can then be cast in bronze resin and/or foundry bronze. All of her work is suitable for the home or garden.
Value of stoneware HIPPO Suzie Marsh £2000
Weight 10kg 45cm long x 24cm deep x 29.5cm high
She is a one-off original sculpture made in stoneware clay.
The Turgwe Hippo Trust does its best to promote indigenous artists by suggesting to guests and volunteers which markets to visit. In Gift’s case many of the Trust’s volunteers have purchased his work as his talent shines through in the details and accuracy of the shape and look of the wild animals he sculpts.
We so look forward to meeting you all and hope you have a wonderful evening with us.
