Hippopotamus wallowing in the water at Vitshumbi, Virunga National Park, Congo (Democratic Republic)

During his trip to Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Elisofon visited Vitshumbi, a fishing harbour on the south shore of Lake Edward (Lake Rutanzige), which is shallow, and has an impoverished fish fauna. During daylight hours, the common hippo spends almost all its time wallowing in shallow water. In the evenings, after the hot sun has set, common hippos come out of the water for a night of grazing. While hippos like to feed on patches of short grasses (called "hippo lawns") close to water, sometimes they must travel several miles (kilometers) to find food, making long trips on land to new lakes or rivers. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for National Geographic and traveled to Africa from January 19, 1972 to mid April 1972.