Having a neighbour you do not get along with can be catastrophic, and worse, when you do not even share the same interests, you can’t even hang out, but that has been the relationship between the herbivorous beast hippopotamus and the carnivorous primaeval terror crocodiles. Visiting any national park in Tanzania, like Ruaha National Park in the Iringa region or Katavi National Park, known for its vast floodplain, you will find habitats where these two contrasting animals coexist.
The unlikely frenemy that has marvelled tourists who visit Tanzania was not forged in haste, but it is as ancient as the creatures themselves. Over a million years ago, both creatures had to adapt to life in the African bodies of water shaped by mutual need for survival, the changing environmental conditions, evolution, avoidance of direct competition, and recognising the roles each played that didn’t threaten the existence of the other.
