Rare video shows what hippos really sound like and people are delightfully shocked
It sounds like something between a "whoopie cushion" and a "murder kazoo."
Hippos can even communicate underwater.
We’re all well aware of the sounds most common animals make, due in no small part to that classic Fisher Price “Farmer Says” toy (remember those?).
But more exotic animals…not so much. Their calls remain a mystery.
Like the hippo, for instance. Who the heck knows off the top of their head what those sound like?
Well, thanks to the Saint Louis Zoo, we can quell that curiosity.
In a video posted to the zoo’s TikTok account, we see three female Nile hippos—Mashavu, Kiboko and Tombi—make a noise that viewers feel is somewhere between a “whoopie cushion” and a “murder kazoo.”
Listen:
@stlzoo Ever heard a hippo? 🔊 The three female Nile hippos here at the Zoo make lots of different noises. They wheeze, honk, grunt and squeal to communicate with their group – known as a bloat – both above and below water! The sounds can be heard for more than a half a mile in the wild. #hippo #hippopotamus #animals #animal #animalsounds #zoo ♬ original sound - Saint Louis Zoo
Pretty accurate description, right? According to the video’s caption, hippos make a variety of noises. They can roar, grunt, squeal and even communicate underwater! According to the New York Times, hippos will also announce their presence using a “wheeze honk.” Talk about knowing how to make an entrance.
Hippos aren’t the only members of the animal kingdom to make strange sounds. Have you ever heard…
A chirping cheetah?
Cheetahs will typically issue this call during distress or to locate their young, but have been observed using it in all sorts of scenarios, per Earth.com.
How about a screaming armadillo?
The Cincinnati Zoo explains that hairy armadillos will scream when threatened. Relatable.
Or a laughing fox?
It is theorized that foxes only make these “hehe” sounds to get human attention. Mission: accomplished.
It never gets olds learning something new about the cool creatures that share this planet with us.