Hippopotamus on Kibirizi plains, Virunga National Park, Congo (Democratic Republic)

"The park includes: part of Lake Edward (Lake Rutangize), the Semliki River valley, parts of the Rwindi, Ishasha and Rutshuru valleys south of the lake, the Virunga area within former Zaïre, and part of the Rwenzori (Ruwenzori) range. Lake Edward belongs to the Nile river system and Lake Kivu to the Congo Basin river system. Some of the largest wild animal concentrations in Africa occur along the rivers of the park. Mammals in the savanna of the Rwindi area include: elephant, hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), buffalo, numerous antelope including kob and Defassa waterbuck, warthog, lion, spotted hyena, bushbuck, and various monkeys. 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 traveled to Africa from March 17, 1970 to July 17, 1970.