During a shoot in July 2009 on the Chobe River in Botswana while capturing Hippo shots, I noticed this Hammerkop using the sleeping Hipo as a perching spot on the water. The Hippo did not approve of this and got rather annoyed with the Hammerkop. I managed to capture the process of the Hammerkop landing and being unceremoniously shaken off by the angry Hippo.
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Hammerkop comimng in for the Landing
Final Approach…..
Sleeping Hippo unaware of the Hammerkop that is about to land on the Hipo’s head…..
Touch Down!
Hippo getting annoyed…..
Violent shake of the Hippo’s head wirh the anger clear in the eye of the Hipo……
Brute force of the Hippo as it pushes out of the water…….
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Dou Pienaar 