Hippopotamuses

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**Hippopotamuses**, sometimes called **hippos**, are mammals that appear in *The Lion Guard* universe. They live in the Pride Lands and the Tree of Life.

## Appearance

### In the Real World

Hippos are very large animals. They have small legs and webbed feet. Their skin, on which very little hair is present, ranges in color from purple-gray to blue-black. Their skin sometimes has a red or pink cast to it.

### In *The Lion Guard*

 File:Fulisnewfamily-p1 (168).png
Hippos have thick gray or blue-gray skin, sometimes seen with darker spots. They have large, flat teeth and occasionally have small amounts of hair atop their head.

## Information

### In the Real World

The hippopotamus (meaning "river horse") is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal. After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal. The hippopotamus is semi-aquatic, inhabiting rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps. Hippos spend most of their days wallowing in the water or the mud, with the other members of their pod.

The water serves to keep their body temperature down, and to keep their skin from drying out. With the exception of eating, most of hippopotamuses' lives —from childbirth, fighting with other hippos, to reproduction— occur in the water. Hippos leave the water at dusk and travel inland, sometimes up to eight kilometers (five miles), to graze on short grass, their main source of food. The hippo's proportions reflect its sedentary, amphibious existence. Its plump and bulky body is set on short, stumpy legs, with each foot having four toes.

### In *The Lion Guard*

Hippos are located in Big Springs. They inform the crocodiles of the status of the springs' fish population and whether or not there is enough for the crocodiles to feed on. As Ono stated Hippos have very thick skin that is possible that they could walk through the Stone Forrest. As Hippo aren’t able to stay out of water, shade or mud for long time in tense heat for getting sun burn.

## History

### The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar

 File:Return-of-the-Roar (102).png
Kion and Bunga leap across the backs of a hippo pod, including a young hippo named Beshte, as they play Baobab Ball.

 File:Return-of-the-Roar (588).png
In the song *Tonight We Strike*, a hippo is among the terrified Pride Landers and the Pride Landers supporting each other.

Kion later recruits Beshte to be the strongest member of the Lion Guard. He finds Beshte with his pod, who are enthusiastically cheering his name as he creates a waterslide for them. They are delighted when the rushing water pushes them.

 File:Follow-That-Hippo! (635).png
### The Lion Guard

The hippopotamus Beshte serves as a main character and appears in every episode of the show.

### The Rise of Makuu

 File:The-Rise-of-Makuu (180).png
Beshte the hippo takes his friends to the hippos' home in Big Springs, where he shows them how the fish in the lake clean his teeth. Beshte's father, a hippo named Basi, explains that it's a part of the Circle of Life. Beshte announces that he is now clean, and a pair of female hippos whistle at him. The crocodiles then arrive in the hopes of eating the fish in the lake, but Basi tells the crocodile leader Pua that there are not yet enough fish for the crocodile float, and invites him to return next week.

There are hippos present at the Mashindano, chanting along with the rest of the animals. They witness the defeat of Pua.

 File:The-Rise-of-Makuu (957).png
The hippos later are driven out of Big Springs by Makuu and the crocodiles and forced into the elephants' watering hole. After Kion orders Makuu to leave Big Springs, the hippos are able to return to their home.

### Bunga the Wise

 File:Bunga-the-Wise (546).png
A hippo is shown waiting in line to see Bunga. It joins in the singing of *Bunga the Wise*, at one point appears with Timon and Pumbaa in its mouth. Shortly after, he allows Bunga to bounce off of its nose.

### The Kupatana Celebration

On the day of Kupatana, an angry hippo is seen glaring at a family of jackals who had most likely stolen from them at the end of the song *Jackal Style*.

 File:The-Kupatana-Celebration (753).png
Multiple hippos attend the Kupatana Celebration to celebrate Kupatana. Basi the hippo performs a song with Twiga and several other Pride Landers.

### Fuli's New Family

 File:Fuli's-New-Family (290).png
Beshte invites his friend Fuli to swim with the hippos. When he accidentally knocks her in, another hippo lifts the disgruntled cheetah out of the water.

### Follow That Hippo!

 File:Follow-That-Hippo! (116).png
When a elephant named Mtoto comes up to Beshte and asks him questions. Beshte asks if he has any questions. Mtoto then starts throwing a barrage of questions towards the hippo, who isn't so sure that he really is Mtoto's 'hero' just yet. Mtoto asks them to join in their game of Lion Guard, to which the baby animals become excited at. However, Kion politely declines, and he and the Guard walk away to do some training, much to the baby animals' disappointment.

However, Mtoto wishes to hang out with Beshte, and he invites him to watch them train. The two converse a little along the way, with Mtoto become increasingly excited. Beshte becomes embarrassed as Mtoto reveals that the only reason he likes the Lion Guard so much is because of him, though their conversation is soon halted as they catch up to the rest of the Guard, where Kion is briefing his team. Beshte arrives with Mtoto, and Kion explains that they were just about to run an obstacle course. In his excitement, Mtoto knocks over a nearby rock with Ono on it, causing him to fall. The elephant asks if he can run it too, and Kion agrees, telling Beshte to stay close to him. He asks Ono to check the skies for hyenas, and the egret is only too happy to oblige.

On the way, Mtoto expresses his disappointment. Beshte hopes that by telling him to find the hero inside of himself Mtoto will someday be a real member of the Guard. As they reach his friends, Beshte leaves. Mtoto's friends are amazed to hear that Mtoto has been training with the Guard and, despite assuming that he would no longer want to play pretend Lion Guard with them, he does. They begin to play, but grow bored quickly with no one to chase. They notice some nearby hyraxes, which they decide to name after the hyenas and chase them. However, lurking in the grass, Janja, Cheezi and Chungu overhear them, and decide to follow. Later Mtoto is saved by Beshte from Janja's clan.

### The Imaginary Okapi

A few hippos can be seen resting in Lake Matope as Beshte sings Life in the Pride Lands.

### Beware the Zimwi

Besthe practices his bellowing so he can be part of The Bellow Fellows.

### Beshte and the Hippo Lanes

 File:Beshte-and-the-Hippo-Lanes (9).png
Basi and his son, Beshte help the Pride Lands by clearing up the Flood Plains. They save a young rhino from  Makuu and another crocodile when Basi gets hurt. He leaves his son in charge of completing the hippo lanes. Later Beshte has a whole bunch of animals on his back Laini, a female wagtail, a young aardvark and Chura. They all sing together make the Hippo Lanes. Beshte than talks to Ono and realizes that he messed it up because he was busy giving animals rides. Basi and Beshte fix the problem and everyone loves the new flood plains.

### Swept Away

When Kion uses the  Roar of the Elders to make it rain Beshte gets swept away into the Outlands. The sun is so hot and it will make him burn. He sings *Look on the Bright Side* to make him feel better. Scar orders Janja's clan to push rocks onto Beshte and get rid of him.

### Timon and Pumbaa's Christmas

When Bunga wants to give his uncles the best Christmas ever, Basi's pod agree to join in with the celebrations. After rehearsing all night, they are about to give up until Bunga reveals to them how important it is to him, and why. They return and perform *The Twelve Ways of Christmas* with the other animals.

Beshte meets a gorilla named Shujaa someone who is stronger then him. Ono spots Basi's pod at Big Springs facing the Army of Scar. Shujaa helps fight them and they all get scared and run away. Beshte helps Shujaa control his strength however no matter what he does he always seems to make a mess. Scar's army comes back and this time there's a fire. Ono warns Beshte and Shujaa but Shujaa doesn't wanna come. Beshte goes to help and tells his dad to get the pod into the water. He helps take out the fire but his leg gets hurt and crushed by a tree. Shujaa comes and lifts him up and he carries Beshte away from the fire. Shujaa scares off the army and takes out the fire.

Basi's pod is hanging out at Big Springs when Basi sees something in the water. Turns out it's little  File:The-Fall-Of-Mizimu-Grove (27).png  Kiazi. The Lion Guard comes by and so does Timon and Pumbaa. Later Makini comes too and shows off her Mpando Mpaya. She invites Basi's pod to come and watch her plant but Kion gets an idea. Kion thinks that all Pride Landers should be invited to lift up their spirits. Later that evening Timon and Pumbaa sing Tujiinue however the Army of Scar interupts the party. Working together the Pride Landers help the guard fight the Outlanders until Scar reveals himself. He explians his plan to the Pride Landers and then the herds start to panic. The guard stops them and Simba speaks with the animals over the incident. The herds start to think about leaving the Pride Lands. They all meet the next morning at Pride Rock but Kion comes by. They return to Mizimu Grove, and Makini plants her baobab tree, restoring their spirits and no matter what happens, the Pride Landers decided to stay.
Poa the Destroyer
While Beshte is touring the Tree of Life on his own animals think that he's a badguy. They start to call him "Poa the Destroyer." Beshte soon saves Pinguino's life and is renamed "Poa the Life Saver."

Return to the Pride Lands
Beshte reunites with his father Basi and his pod.

Notable Hippos in *The Lion Guard** Basi's Pod
* Baby Hippo
* Basi
* Beshte
* The Bellow Fellows
* Kiazi
* Kulu

Trivia* Pink oily fluids from glands act as sunblock for a hippopotamus's sun-sensitive flesh.
* A hippo can spend more than eighteen hours a day in water, only emerging at night to feed on grassy shores.
* Hippos can survive for weeks in mud with no food, water, or shade.
* Their huge teeth give serious and sometime fatal wounds to predators.
* They excrete a pink, oily fluid from glands that serve as sunblock.
* Mothers have overturned boats and killed the riders.
* Hippopotamuses are featured in the *It’s UnBungalievable!* short *Who's Hungrier?*. File:Hungrier.png

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