Sensitive Content Warning. Male hippos are intensely territorial, aggressively guarding sections of the Mara River that form their domain. Control of these areas ensures access to both resources and breeding opportunities. Confrontations between rival males can be brutal and prolonged, sometimes lasting for hours, with wide gaping jaws, tusks reaching up to 50 cm, and violent clashes involving biting, ramming, and powerful thrashing in the water - encounters that can occasionally prove fatal. 📷