Hippos are large African mammals. They live in rivers and look quite funny with their little ears and big, round, gray bodies. But in fact, they are one of the world's most dangerous animals. Hippos get angry very easily. They have large teeth. And they can run really fast. Every year, they kill around 500 people in Africa.
Some people also say hippos sweat blood! Scary, right? Yes, if it were true. A hippo's sweat is red, but it isn't blood. It is actually a type of oil. This special oil protects a hippo's skin from the hot African sun.
I first saw the word hippo in a book about Africa. I had to look it up in a dictionary because I didn't know what it meant. I found the word on a page in the H section. Take a look at some of the other words on that page. They all start with the letters "hi–."