Beaches and Erosion

Hippos come out of the water every night at exactly the same spot on the beach. When these big animals trample across the beaches night after night, they wear away or 'erode' a lot of the sand and soil. Keeping the soil on the beaches is important.

Over time, these worn paths will provide a way for rain water flow from the grasslands to the rivers. When the rain water flows back down these trails, it takes a lot of the sand and soil from the grasslands with it as well.

A worn hippo trail leading to the beach. Notice all the soil washed away around the trail. The two grooves in the ground are for the hippo's left feet and right feet.

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