The Hippos of St Lucia

11/06/2026

We had just gotten back to the car when we saw the hippos walking up and around the corner on to the main street in town.

Normally they walk in the middle of the road but not this time.

This time they decided to walk on the left, right by our vehicle.

So we did what we have always been taught, whatever you do, don't run or move or make a sound, when faced with a wild animal.

Now for anyone saying we should have driven off when we saw them, there wasn't time.

For anyone saying we should have stayed on the other side of the vehicle, the hippos often walk up to the grass verge that was on the other side of our vehicle, which meant we had nowhere safe to be if they went that way.


For anyone saying we are crazy, yes indeed, not because we chose to be, but because hippos are unpredictable even on their usual walk through town.

Most importantly, we took the invaluable advice of whatever you do don't run, don't move, don't make a sound and knew that the hippos would move on in their own time if they were left alone and not interfered with. The safest place was in the vehicle, engine off, not moving a muscle.

It's all about respecting the wildlife.

05/06/2026

These young ladies have been coming out regularly over the last week and finally and I got to see them!

We happened to pop out for drinks at just the right time when the ladies arrived.

Footage sped up because although hippos can run fast, they walk sooooo slooooow!!!
Just a typical st Lucia evening!

18/05/2026

Normally at a four way stop, the right of way goes to whomever gets there first. But I'm not sure I'd argue that point with a hippo!

They get right of way every time.

Anyone else love the little quirky behaviours they have such as opening and closing their mouths when they walk, almost like they are talking to themselves.

14/05/2026

Think a hippo isn't that fast???

Think again!

Hippos can reach a top speed of up to 30km/hour (approx 20mph) with their little legs.

The average human can run approx 15km/hour ..... you can do the maths on that one 🤓

This is exactly why we say don't get close to our hippos. They will charge you from standing start and have a lot of weight to propel them.

Enjoy the hippos responsibly .

12/05/2026

We love it when visitors also love our resident hippos as much as we do!

And evening challenges with the hippos are real!

Günther Queeckers from Authentic Travel experiences had problems said on his recent visit - 'We were driving home from the restaurant to our accommodation but at the parking lot we couldn't get out to our room because of a few hippo's.'

Not so much first world problems as St Lucia problems!!!

Thanks to Günther and Authentic Travel experiences for sharing your photos with us.

And a reminder to all restaurant goers, always check your surroundings as you enter and exit your vehicles, our hippos are silent when they move and disappear into the shadows!

12/05/2026

Did you know hippos produce their own natural sunscreen? 🦛

Their skin secretes a reddish oily fluid that acts as both a moisturiser and a UV protector. Scientists spent decades working out what it actually was.

We share our estuary with these extraordinary animals every day here in St Lucia - and the more your children know about them, the more remarkable every sighting becomes.

I've created a free Safari Animal Mini Pack for families who want their children to understand Africa's wild world - not just see it.

Fact cards for the elephant, lion and giraffe to start - with more animals coming soon.

Completely free. 👉 kate-on-safari.kit.com/2bdcd9cfe9

Let Africa teach your children what the world is made of. 🌍

Discover Africa's wild world with beautifully designed fact cards for three of Africa's most magnificent animals — the elephant, the lion, and the giraffe.

03/05/2026

Evening patrol with my youngest daughter in the passenger seat.

We counted at least three moving through town last week,
strolling past parked cars and the restaurants like they owned the place.

Which, to be fair, they do.

We try to get our children out on these encounters as often as possible.

Not for the excitement (although she was absolutely buzzing), but because growing up alongside these animals is how you learn to truly respect them.

👉She knows not to get out of the car.
👉She knows not to use flash.
👉She knows that if a hippo changes direction to look at you, whatever you don't move.

These aren't rules we had to drill into her. She's learned them by being here, watching, and understanding that these are wild animals sharing our town, not attractions.

We live alongside them, not the other way around. It's a privilege to live alongside them. But it's a privilege that comes with responsibility.

A few reminders for anyone visiting St Lucia or heading out after dark:
🦛 Stay in your vehicle. Always.
🦛 Keep your distance. If you think you're close enough, you're too close.
🦛 No flash photography. It disorients and agitates them.
🦛 Never block their path. Give them space to move where they want to go.
🦛 Hippos can run at 30 km/h. YOU CANNOT.

They're magnificent. Enjoy them safely.

26/04/2026

It's not just the main road that the hippos walk on in St Lucia .

They go up and down most of the streets in town at night.

Often the telltale signs that they have taken a particular road are a pile of 💩💩 and flattened grass, either munched short grass or flattened from the hippos feet.

Always fun to try and work out which way they went from the 💩💩 piles!

22/04/2026

We normally love seeing our hippos out and about but this was too cute not to share.

This baby hippo was playing on it's Mum's back, because it's not just human babies that climb all over Mum!

They do it because they are so small and they can't reach the ground. This means they have to constantly jump up and down to breath which is sooooo tiring. The easiest solution is to climb on to Mum and chill, but it does take some practice to balance.

Great video by van Wyk, thanks for sharing the footage with us.

06/04/2026

When you see a hippo yawning, it is not because it is tired, it is a warning sign. A sign to say 'I am in charge, I am big and scary and this is how big my mouth and teeth are'.

It is not a warning sign to be missed. Because if the hippo isn't happy it'll charge. And if a hippo charges, you had better the able to run .....fast 🏃🏃‍♀️💨🐎 because a hippo can run....fast!

Great footage taken by WeeBizzum Photography showing how stressed the hippos were last night with the noise, the lights and the amount of people in the streets. Despite their size, Hippos have heightened senses, in particular to noise and light. So they will stop, wait and assess before moving on, even on a path they have walked 100 times before.

Last night was a prime example of this. Whilst the spectators waited to get their videos and photos, for the hippos their usually quiet pathway was a stressful gauntlet of noise and bright lights.

Well done to the St Lucia CPF / Hippo Patrol team for managing the hippo/human situation so smoothly without incident.