This hippo was photographed at St. Louis Zoo, with natural light. I used a black cloth behind me to cut out the reflections, and then it was just a numbers game, waiting for the hippo to show.

The magnificent Hippo has found its self in a rather troubling predicament. With ivory bans in full effect and the elephant population the full focus of protection, poachers are turning to the Hippos, and their teeth, to fill the gap. To many struggling communities, a hippo is a great source of bush meat, and unfortunately, the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo has decimated an estimated 95% of their local population.

Find out more about the Hippo and how you can help to protect a Hippo in its natural surrounding: www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/hippopotamus

more of Tim Flach

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