It’s very unwise to mess with a hippo. No one told these birds, though, and they managed to stand up to a hippo and live to tell the tale. Frederik Barnardt, a field guide and wildlife photographer based in South Africa, caught the moment a hippo put on a display and the little birds—lapwings—couldn’t care less.
“This hippo chose the least likely opponents after getting bothered by some lions that were looking to get a drink from his pond,” Barnardt wrote in his Instagram post sharing the video. “These lapwings bravely stood their ground as this 2 ton hippo displayed his might.”
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Other outlets shared the video, too. Some people online say this encounter looks like an animated conversation between pals.
“Naw, this is not a fight. This is a conversation. He’s telling them about how the lions tried to punk him, and their letting him know they got his back if he needs. They’re old friends,” wrote one person.
“Hippo is telling jokes,” wrote another. “You can hear the birds laughing.”
In a comment reply on his video, Barnardt says he believes the lapwings are protecting their nest with their lives. It works, and the hippo backs off.
Watch as some birds stand their ground against a hippo: