RIGHT
Hippopotamuses wal-
low at sunrise in a river
in the Masai Mara.
They spend up to 16
hours a day in rivers
and water holes, where
they sleep together
in pods of 10 to 30 to
protect their young,
which are especially
vulnerable to croco-
diles. At night they
graze, traveling as
far as six miles and
consuming about 80
pounds of grass. The
dung they produce is
rich in nutrients that
maintain the health
of African rivers and
benefit many species.BELOW RIGHT
Impalas face not only
predators but also
competitors. Young
males practice com-
bat early; when they’re
older, they stake out
territories and guard
groups of female
mates. When forced to
flee the lions, leopards,
cheetahs, and hyenas
that prey on them,
impalas can jump as
far as 33 feet and
as high as 10 feet.PHOTO ESSAY: THE WILDLIFE
A FIGHT TO SURVIVEPAGE
NO. 126FEELING THE SQUEEZE
FROM SHRINKING HABITATS AND CLIMATE CHANGE,
ANIMALS BIG AND SMALL
STRUGGLE IN THIS FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM.