Why do Ichisongas hate elephants and hippos?












3












$begingroup$


In the mythology of the Lambas people of Zambia, there is a creature called the Ichisonga. It is a herbivore, and very rhinoceros-like in appearance.



Upon hearing a hippopotamus, it allegedly sneaks up on the hippo and then stabs it to death with its horn. It has a similar hatred of elephants and will stand by an elephant carcass in spite until rots away.



Imagine that the Ichisonga was a real creature, a species of rhinoceros inhabiting Africa. Why would it - a herbivore - be so aggressive towards hippos and elephants? There are cases of herbivores exhibiting somewhat predatory behaviour, like Cape buffaloes, which actively seek out, stalk and kill lion cubs and even injured humans, but why specifically hippos and elephants?










share|improve this question









$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/12/…. Background reading: aquatic African cryptids that all hate hippos.
    $endgroup$
    – Willk
    3 mins ago
















3












$begingroup$


In the mythology of the Lambas people of Zambia, there is a creature called the Ichisonga. It is a herbivore, and very rhinoceros-like in appearance.



Upon hearing a hippopotamus, it allegedly sneaks up on the hippo and then stabs it to death with its horn. It has a similar hatred of elephants and will stand by an elephant carcass in spite until rots away.



Imagine that the Ichisonga was a real creature, a species of rhinoceros inhabiting Africa. Why would it - a herbivore - be so aggressive towards hippos and elephants? There are cases of herbivores exhibiting somewhat predatory behaviour, like Cape buffaloes, which actively seek out, stalk and kill lion cubs and even injured humans, but why specifically hippos and elephants?










share|improve this question









$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/12/…. Background reading: aquatic African cryptids that all hate hippos.
    $endgroup$
    – Willk
    3 mins ago














3












3








3


2



$begingroup$


In the mythology of the Lambas people of Zambia, there is a creature called the Ichisonga. It is a herbivore, and very rhinoceros-like in appearance.



Upon hearing a hippopotamus, it allegedly sneaks up on the hippo and then stabs it to death with its horn. It has a similar hatred of elephants and will stand by an elephant carcass in spite until rots away.



Imagine that the Ichisonga was a real creature, a species of rhinoceros inhabiting Africa. Why would it - a herbivore - be so aggressive towards hippos and elephants? There are cases of herbivores exhibiting somewhat predatory behaviour, like Cape buffaloes, which actively seek out, stalk and kill lion cubs and even injured humans, but why specifically hippos and elephants?










share|improve this question









$endgroup$




In the mythology of the Lambas people of Zambia, there is a creature called the Ichisonga. It is a herbivore, and very rhinoceros-like in appearance.



Upon hearing a hippopotamus, it allegedly sneaks up on the hippo and then stabs it to death with its horn. It has a similar hatred of elephants and will stand by an elephant carcass in spite until rots away.



Imagine that the Ichisonga was a real creature, a species of rhinoceros inhabiting Africa. Why would it - a herbivore - be so aggressive towards hippos and elephants? There are cases of herbivores exhibiting somewhat predatory behaviour, like Cape buffaloes, which actively seek out, stalk and kill lion cubs and even injured humans, but why specifically hippos and elephants?







creature-design fauna mythical-creatures ecology mythology






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked 1 hour ago









SealBoiSealBoi

7,20412574




7,20412574












  • $begingroup$
    mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/12/…. Background reading: aquatic African cryptids that all hate hippos.
    $endgroup$
    – Willk
    3 mins ago


















  • $begingroup$
    mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/12/…. Background reading: aquatic African cryptids that all hate hippos.
    $endgroup$
    – Willk
    3 mins ago
















$begingroup$
mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/12/…. Background reading: aquatic African cryptids that all hate hippos.
$endgroup$
– Willk
3 mins ago




$begingroup$
mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/12/…. Background reading: aquatic African cryptids that all hate hippos.
$endgroup$
– Willk
3 mins ago










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

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3












$begingroup$

It could be that ichisongas shared their territories with hippos and elephants for thousands of years and probably due to increasing competition, these ichisongas must have developed a territorial instinct. Probably these ichisongas waited around till the elephants and hippos rotted away to make sure that they were dead and that they won't be back to bother the ichisonga(elephants and hippos are quite the tanks).The hippos are already quite territorial and hence are quite dangerous the any ichisongas in that territory and elephants could probably decimate the ichisongas' territory. To combat this, it might have developed such territorial spite towards the hippos and elephants.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$





















    1












    $begingroup$

    A tale of envy.



    Hippos.



    The Ishisonga remembers swimming as a cub, it loved swimming, it would dive beneath the water and feed on the lush and delicious water-weed, reveling in the cool splasy games with the hippo children, swimming was what it dreampt about, what made life worthwhile.



    Then time passed, it grew, it's head heavy with horn it became more and more difficult to keep it above the water, it could not dive for delicacies and return to the surface with such ease, eventualy it could not dive, could not swim. It's dreams were broken Ichitonga was cast onto the dry hot and dusty land it hated so.



    At times Ishisonga would take a drink by the rivers and lakes, there would be the hippos - friends of youth, grown now. Their honking laughter would fill the air for miles around, taunting and humiliating Ishisonga. Bitter tears would be all the water Ishitonga would enjoy. Instead of the sweet taste of water-weed, Ichisonga vowed to enjoy the sweet taste of revenge for this betrayal.



    Since the hippo children were so lucky as to not grow horns, horns would be their undoing, so Ichisonga took the only weapon it had and ended their laughter, one by one.



    Elephants.



    Ichsonga wandered the lands in sorrow, envy and anger, feeding on tasteless dry grasses, thorny bushes would scratch and stab at it's lips any time it tried for a succulent leaf, there were none of the sweet fruit Ichitonga remembered as a child and longed for the taste of.



    Ichsonga would see sweet fruit, out of reach in the high trees, the monkeys would drop the seeds with a trace of the sweet smell, so tantalising, but Ichisonga could not reach. The elephants would with ease snake their supple trunks to twist the lower fruit away from the tree, then to enjoy the sweet taste, Ichisonga was envious and even sadder.



    Ichisonga would wander the savanna, occasionaly stumbling upon the carcass of a hunted elephant, one caught by the big cats or a tribe, then would gaze longingly at the remains imagining the snakey trunk grasping sweet fruit, imagining the taste, wishing there were a way for it to belong to Ichisonga, but there was no way, only more sadness, envy and anger for Ichisonga and dry dusty grass.






    share|improve this answer











    $endgroup$





















      0












      $begingroup$


      Imagine that the Ichisonga was a real creature, a species of
      rhinoceros inhabiting Africa.




      Rhinos already behave like this and they are herbivores. They'll attack most things. Of course they lose against elephants but that doesn't stop them trying. Why? Nobody knows!




      Rhino versus elephant. https://youtu.be/4sRlnNllql0?t=155



      Rhino against just about everything else https://youtu.be/xL6CUdw84jI






      Edit




      Rhino vs Hippo (the Rhino's horn has been removed to prevent poaching
      so it's not a fair fight) https://youtu.be/1Fog6jeeAZk?t=92







      share|improve this answer











      $endgroup$














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        3 Answers
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        3 Answers
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        $begingroup$

        It could be that ichisongas shared their territories with hippos and elephants for thousands of years and probably due to increasing competition, these ichisongas must have developed a territorial instinct. Probably these ichisongas waited around till the elephants and hippos rotted away to make sure that they were dead and that they won't be back to bother the ichisonga(elephants and hippos are quite the tanks).The hippos are already quite territorial and hence are quite dangerous the any ichisongas in that territory and elephants could probably decimate the ichisongas' territory. To combat this, it might have developed such territorial spite towards the hippos and elephants.






        share|improve this answer









        $endgroup$


















          3












          $begingroup$

          It could be that ichisongas shared their territories with hippos and elephants for thousands of years and probably due to increasing competition, these ichisongas must have developed a territorial instinct. Probably these ichisongas waited around till the elephants and hippos rotted away to make sure that they were dead and that they won't be back to bother the ichisonga(elephants and hippos are quite the tanks).The hippos are already quite territorial and hence are quite dangerous the any ichisongas in that territory and elephants could probably decimate the ichisongas' territory. To combat this, it might have developed such territorial spite towards the hippos and elephants.






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$
















            3












            3








            3





            $begingroup$

            It could be that ichisongas shared their territories with hippos and elephants for thousands of years and probably due to increasing competition, these ichisongas must have developed a territorial instinct. Probably these ichisongas waited around till the elephants and hippos rotted away to make sure that they were dead and that they won't be back to bother the ichisonga(elephants and hippos are quite the tanks).The hippos are already quite territorial and hence are quite dangerous the any ichisongas in that territory and elephants could probably decimate the ichisongas' territory. To combat this, it might have developed such territorial spite towards the hippos and elephants.






            share|improve this answer









            $endgroup$



            It could be that ichisongas shared their territories with hippos and elephants for thousands of years and probably due to increasing competition, these ichisongas must have developed a territorial instinct. Probably these ichisongas waited around till the elephants and hippos rotted away to make sure that they were dead and that they won't be back to bother the ichisonga(elephants and hippos are quite the tanks).The hippos are already quite territorial and hence are quite dangerous the any ichisongas in that territory and elephants could probably decimate the ichisongas' territory. To combat this, it might have developed such territorial spite towards the hippos and elephants.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered 1 hour ago









            PersivefirePersivefire

            69828




            69828























                1












                $begingroup$

                A tale of envy.



                Hippos.



                The Ishisonga remembers swimming as a cub, it loved swimming, it would dive beneath the water and feed on the lush and delicious water-weed, reveling in the cool splasy games with the hippo children, swimming was what it dreampt about, what made life worthwhile.



                Then time passed, it grew, it's head heavy with horn it became more and more difficult to keep it above the water, it could not dive for delicacies and return to the surface with such ease, eventualy it could not dive, could not swim. It's dreams were broken Ichitonga was cast onto the dry hot and dusty land it hated so.



                At times Ishisonga would take a drink by the rivers and lakes, there would be the hippos - friends of youth, grown now. Their honking laughter would fill the air for miles around, taunting and humiliating Ishisonga. Bitter tears would be all the water Ishitonga would enjoy. Instead of the sweet taste of water-weed, Ichisonga vowed to enjoy the sweet taste of revenge for this betrayal.



                Since the hippo children were so lucky as to not grow horns, horns would be their undoing, so Ichisonga took the only weapon it had and ended their laughter, one by one.



                Elephants.



                Ichsonga wandered the lands in sorrow, envy and anger, feeding on tasteless dry grasses, thorny bushes would scratch and stab at it's lips any time it tried for a succulent leaf, there were none of the sweet fruit Ichitonga remembered as a child and longed for the taste of.



                Ichsonga would see sweet fruit, out of reach in the high trees, the monkeys would drop the seeds with a trace of the sweet smell, so tantalising, but Ichisonga could not reach. The elephants would with ease snake their supple trunks to twist the lower fruit away from the tree, then to enjoy the sweet taste, Ichisonga was envious and even sadder.



                Ichisonga would wander the savanna, occasionaly stumbling upon the carcass of a hunted elephant, one caught by the big cats or a tribe, then would gaze longingly at the remains imagining the snakey trunk grasping sweet fruit, imagining the taste, wishing there were a way for it to belong to Ichisonga, but there was no way, only more sadness, envy and anger for Ichisonga and dry dusty grass.






                share|improve this answer











                $endgroup$


















                  1












                  $begingroup$

                  A tale of envy.



                  Hippos.



                  The Ishisonga remembers swimming as a cub, it loved swimming, it would dive beneath the water and feed on the lush and delicious water-weed, reveling in the cool splasy games with the hippo children, swimming was what it dreampt about, what made life worthwhile.



                  Then time passed, it grew, it's head heavy with horn it became more and more difficult to keep it above the water, it could not dive for delicacies and return to the surface with such ease, eventualy it could not dive, could not swim. It's dreams were broken Ichitonga was cast onto the dry hot and dusty land it hated so.



                  At times Ishisonga would take a drink by the rivers and lakes, there would be the hippos - friends of youth, grown now. Their honking laughter would fill the air for miles around, taunting and humiliating Ishisonga. Bitter tears would be all the water Ishitonga would enjoy. Instead of the sweet taste of water-weed, Ichisonga vowed to enjoy the sweet taste of revenge for this betrayal.



                  Since the hippo children were so lucky as to not grow horns, horns would be their undoing, so Ichisonga took the only weapon it had and ended their laughter, one by one.



                  Elephants.



                  Ichsonga wandered the lands in sorrow, envy and anger, feeding on tasteless dry grasses, thorny bushes would scratch and stab at it's lips any time it tried for a succulent leaf, there were none of the sweet fruit Ichitonga remembered as a child and longed for the taste of.



                  Ichsonga would see sweet fruit, out of reach in the high trees, the monkeys would drop the seeds with a trace of the sweet smell, so tantalising, but Ichisonga could not reach. The elephants would with ease snake their supple trunks to twist the lower fruit away from the tree, then to enjoy the sweet taste, Ichisonga was envious and even sadder.



                  Ichisonga would wander the savanna, occasionaly stumbling upon the carcass of a hunted elephant, one caught by the big cats or a tribe, then would gaze longingly at the remains imagining the snakey trunk grasping sweet fruit, imagining the taste, wishing there were a way for it to belong to Ichisonga, but there was no way, only more sadness, envy and anger for Ichisonga and dry dusty grass.






                  share|improve this answer











                  $endgroup$
















                    1












                    1








                    1





                    $begingroup$

                    A tale of envy.



                    Hippos.



                    The Ishisonga remembers swimming as a cub, it loved swimming, it would dive beneath the water and feed on the lush and delicious water-weed, reveling in the cool splasy games with the hippo children, swimming was what it dreampt about, what made life worthwhile.



                    Then time passed, it grew, it's head heavy with horn it became more and more difficult to keep it above the water, it could not dive for delicacies and return to the surface with such ease, eventualy it could not dive, could not swim. It's dreams were broken Ichitonga was cast onto the dry hot and dusty land it hated so.



                    At times Ishisonga would take a drink by the rivers and lakes, there would be the hippos - friends of youth, grown now. Their honking laughter would fill the air for miles around, taunting and humiliating Ishisonga. Bitter tears would be all the water Ishitonga would enjoy. Instead of the sweet taste of water-weed, Ichisonga vowed to enjoy the sweet taste of revenge for this betrayal.



                    Since the hippo children were so lucky as to not grow horns, horns would be their undoing, so Ichisonga took the only weapon it had and ended their laughter, one by one.



                    Elephants.



                    Ichsonga wandered the lands in sorrow, envy and anger, feeding on tasteless dry grasses, thorny bushes would scratch and stab at it's lips any time it tried for a succulent leaf, there were none of the sweet fruit Ichitonga remembered as a child and longed for the taste of.



                    Ichsonga would see sweet fruit, out of reach in the high trees, the monkeys would drop the seeds with a trace of the sweet smell, so tantalising, but Ichisonga could not reach. The elephants would with ease snake their supple trunks to twist the lower fruit away from the tree, then to enjoy the sweet taste, Ichisonga was envious and even sadder.



                    Ichisonga would wander the savanna, occasionaly stumbling upon the carcass of a hunted elephant, one caught by the big cats or a tribe, then would gaze longingly at the remains imagining the snakey trunk grasping sweet fruit, imagining the taste, wishing there were a way for it to belong to Ichisonga, but there was no way, only more sadness, envy and anger for Ichisonga and dry dusty grass.






                    share|improve this answer











                    $endgroup$



                    A tale of envy.



                    Hippos.



                    The Ishisonga remembers swimming as a cub, it loved swimming, it would dive beneath the water and feed on the lush and delicious water-weed, reveling in the cool splasy games with the hippo children, swimming was what it dreampt about, what made life worthwhile.



                    Then time passed, it grew, it's head heavy with horn it became more and more difficult to keep it above the water, it could not dive for delicacies and return to the surface with such ease, eventualy it could not dive, could not swim. It's dreams were broken Ichitonga was cast onto the dry hot and dusty land it hated so.



                    At times Ishisonga would take a drink by the rivers and lakes, there would be the hippos - friends of youth, grown now. Their honking laughter would fill the air for miles around, taunting and humiliating Ishisonga. Bitter tears would be all the water Ishitonga would enjoy. Instead of the sweet taste of water-weed, Ichisonga vowed to enjoy the sweet taste of revenge for this betrayal.



                    Since the hippo children were so lucky as to not grow horns, horns would be their undoing, so Ichisonga took the only weapon it had and ended their laughter, one by one.



                    Elephants.



                    Ichsonga wandered the lands in sorrow, envy and anger, feeding on tasteless dry grasses, thorny bushes would scratch and stab at it's lips any time it tried for a succulent leaf, there were none of the sweet fruit Ichitonga remembered as a child and longed for the taste of.



                    Ichsonga would see sweet fruit, out of reach in the high trees, the monkeys would drop the seeds with a trace of the sweet smell, so tantalising, but Ichisonga could not reach. The elephants would with ease snake their supple trunks to twist the lower fruit away from the tree, then to enjoy the sweet taste, Ichisonga was envious and even sadder.



                    Ichisonga would wander the savanna, occasionaly stumbling upon the carcass of a hunted elephant, one caught by the big cats or a tribe, then would gaze longingly at the remains imagining the snakey trunk grasping sweet fruit, imagining the taste, wishing there were a way for it to belong to Ichisonga, but there was no way, only more sadness, envy and anger for Ichisonga and dry dusty grass.







                    share|improve this answer














                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer








                    edited 6 mins ago

























                    answered 22 mins ago









                    AgrajagAgrajag

                    7,48721752




                    7,48721752























                        0












                        $begingroup$


                        Imagine that the Ichisonga was a real creature, a species of
                        rhinoceros inhabiting Africa.




                        Rhinos already behave like this and they are herbivores. They'll attack most things. Of course they lose against elephants but that doesn't stop them trying. Why? Nobody knows!




                        Rhino versus elephant. https://youtu.be/4sRlnNllql0?t=155



                        Rhino against just about everything else https://youtu.be/xL6CUdw84jI






                        Edit




                        Rhino vs Hippo (the Rhino's horn has been removed to prevent poaching
                        so it's not a fair fight) https://youtu.be/1Fog6jeeAZk?t=92







                        share|improve this answer











                        $endgroup$


















                          0












                          $begingroup$


                          Imagine that the Ichisonga was a real creature, a species of
                          rhinoceros inhabiting Africa.




                          Rhinos already behave like this and they are herbivores. They'll attack most things. Of course they lose against elephants but that doesn't stop them trying. Why? Nobody knows!




                          Rhino versus elephant. https://youtu.be/4sRlnNllql0?t=155



                          Rhino against just about everything else https://youtu.be/xL6CUdw84jI






                          Edit




                          Rhino vs Hippo (the Rhino's horn has been removed to prevent poaching
                          so it's not a fair fight) https://youtu.be/1Fog6jeeAZk?t=92







                          share|improve this answer











                          $endgroup$
















                            0












                            0








                            0





                            $begingroup$


                            Imagine that the Ichisonga was a real creature, a species of
                            rhinoceros inhabiting Africa.




                            Rhinos already behave like this and they are herbivores. They'll attack most things. Of course they lose against elephants but that doesn't stop them trying. Why? Nobody knows!




                            Rhino versus elephant. https://youtu.be/4sRlnNllql0?t=155



                            Rhino against just about everything else https://youtu.be/xL6CUdw84jI






                            Edit




                            Rhino vs Hippo (the Rhino's horn has been removed to prevent poaching
                            so it's not a fair fight) https://youtu.be/1Fog6jeeAZk?t=92







                            share|improve this answer











                            $endgroup$




                            Imagine that the Ichisonga was a real creature, a species of
                            rhinoceros inhabiting Africa.




                            Rhinos already behave like this and they are herbivores. They'll attack most things. Of course they lose against elephants but that doesn't stop them trying. Why? Nobody knows!




                            Rhino versus elephant. https://youtu.be/4sRlnNllql0?t=155



                            Rhino against just about everything else https://youtu.be/xL6CUdw84jI






                            Edit




                            Rhino vs Hippo (the Rhino's horn has been removed to prevent poaching
                            so it's not a fair fight) https://youtu.be/1Fog6jeeAZk?t=92








                            share|improve this answer














                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer








                            edited 25 mins ago

























                            answered 36 mins ago









                            chasly from UKchasly from UK

                            20.7k987177




                            20.7k987177






























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