Love Through Poop Spraying
Male hippos court females by spinning their tails like propellers while defecating, spraying feces in all directions to spread their scent.
Hippo courtship is not for the faint of heart. When a male hippo wants to impress a female, he performs a behavior called "dung showering" — and it's exactly what it sounds like.
The male defecates while rapidly spinning his tail like a propeller, spraying feces in a wide arc. This serves multiple purposes: - It spreads his scent over a large area - It marks his territory - It demonstrates his health and vigor to females
Females apparently find this attractive, or at least informative. The quality and spread of the dung may signal the male's fitness and dominance.
Hippo mating itself takes place in the water, with the female completely submerged for most of the act. She must periodically surface to breathe, while the male attempts to keep her in position. It's a logistically challenging endeavor for animals that weigh up to 4,000 pounds.
Despite their chubby, docile appearance, hippos are extremely dangerous. They're responsible for more human deaths in Africa than any other large animal. Males are intensely territorial and will fight viciously, using their enormous tusks as weapons.