Heron 'surfs' across river as it hitches a ride on hippo's back

All aboard! Cheeky heron ‘surfs’ across river as it hitches a ride on hippo’s back

• Heron caught on hippo’s back in Sabie River, Kruger National Park, South Africa
• The long-legged bird balanced on the hippo for 65.6 yards in heat of 111.2F 
• The grumpy hippo snaps its enormous jaws point and the bird flaps its wings

A cheeky heron was spotted ‘surfing’ on the back of a hippo and was even caught jumping to avoid its taxi’s chomping jaws. 

Footage shows the long-legged bird hovering on the Sabie River in Kruger National Park, South Africa. 

Safari guide Jérémy Schalkwijk, from Barberton, who has been a guide for three years, suspected the bird was riding on a hippos back after seeing terrapins do the same. 

The heron balances on the back of the hippo on the Sabie River in Kruger National Park, South Africa

The hippo snaps its enormous jaws causing the heron to remain incredibly balanced to avoid falling in 

The heron flaps its wings as the hippo chomps its jaws to get the cheeky bird off its back as it cools down in the river

Jérémy has been a safari guide for three years

He said the cheeky heron balanced on the hippo for 65 feet down the river in the scorching 111.2F heat. 

The video shows the heron riding on the hippopotamus’s back as the waves lap around the pair. 

Suddenly the hippo opens its powerful jaw and snaps at the heron causing the bird to flap its wings for balance to avoid falling in. 

This was the first time Jérémy had seen a heron ‘hitching a ride’ – believing it was waiting for the hippo to disturb fish and allow for an easy catch.

Jeremy said: ‘Usually the hippo is like an island and you can spot terrapins on their back during the day, but this was the first time I’ve seen a heron resting on one.

‘I was in my car at the time near Sunset Dam when I spotted it.

‘I’m a guide and I know there are not so many possibilities for a heron to surf on water. I knew he was on the back of a hippo. 

‘Hippos are herbivorous, even if they are grumpy sometimes and kill for no reason, so I wasn’t worried it might try to eat the heron, but with nature you never know.’

Safari guide Jérémy, from Barberton captured the unusual sight. The hippo appears to give up and resumes its job as a taxi for the heron

Jérémy believes the hippo had entered the water to cool down and was swimming to catch up with the bloat. 

Because of its barrel-shaped body, the heron was able to catch fish with little effort. 

Jérémy said: ‘Some birds stay close by elephants or rhinos because it’s easier for them to catch insects, so I think maybe the heron is doing the same. 

‘The hippo would disturb the fish and the heron catch the fish from the back of the hippo. 

‘It was 111.2F (44 degrees) in the park that day and the hippos were cooling down.’

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