Every vacation is unique to the location you visit. While some places offer theme parks or delicious food others feature breathtaking beaches or adventurous hiking trails. St. Lucia has many unique experiences to offer, but there’s one in particular you won’t find in many other places. And it all has to do with this rather interesting fact: St. Lucia has the largest population of hippos in South Africa.
Videos by InspireMore
It’s one thing to know this fact, but it’s an entirely different thing to experience what that means for people who visit. When Alana took a trip to this beautiful island, she had no idea just how close the local hippos are willing to get to humans. So, when a few strolled right past her as she dined outside, she was speechless, to say the least. Check out this amazing moment for yourself in the video below!
@alana.wanders What you need to know about St Lucia, and its famous residents!🦛 St Lucia is a town in the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. It’s a great base to stay in, especially if you are planning to visit iSimangaliso Wetland Park! We stayed at Urban Glamping which I really recommend too! There are also some famous residents that live here… and if you’re lucky you might see them stroll through town! We were just sitting at a restaurant when they walked on by and it was such a special thing to see! Make sure you keep a good distance though because they are very wild animals! Have you seen hippos in the wild?!😍 📍St Lucia, South Africa🇿🇦 #stluciasouthafrica #southafricatravel #hippopotamus #stluciahippos #visitsouthafrica #africatravel ♬ Almost forgot that this was the whole point – Take my Hand Instrumental – AntonioVivald
“We were just sitting at a restaurant when they walked on by and it was such a special thing to see!” Alana writes in the caption of her post. “Make sure you keep a good distance though because they are very wild animals!”
Pod of Hippos Spotted Casually Strolling Down the Streets of St. Lucia
It’s said that an estimated 800 hippos can be found roaming St. Lucia. That’s why vacationers can expect to find a number of “hippo warning” signs all around. The video below showcases quite a few of them.
@travelerstamps This is St Lucia, South Africa 🇿🇦 a surreal town where hippos are the real locals 🦛 Is next to a wild national park, and the town has no fences so hippos roam freely at night. Thats so cool right? Follow for more unique places!🫶 #stlucia #southafrica #stluciasouthafrica #hippos #wildlifeanimals #freeroaming #creatorsearchinsights ♬ Breaking Up Is Hard To Do – Neil Sedaka
Thankfully, hippos and humans in St. Lucia have come to respect one another. In fact, the hippos here have even grown accustomed to cars and lights. Still, precaution should be taken whenever someone finds themselves near one of these hippos.
For starters, it’s vital to make sure you give them plenty of space and aren’t unintentionally blocking any potential exits for the animal. In addition to the safety precautions, make sure to enjoy this super special encounter!
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.
